Sunday, January 5, 2025

A Painting (short memoir) by Leanne Dyck

When did I fall in love with the idea of creating stories? What made me want to write? Tips on how to remain inspired.

One of my earliest inspirations to write came from a painting.

photo by ldyck

My paternal grandmother owned a painting called "The Open Window," created by Frank Moss Bennett. The painting is of a small room surrounded by stained-glass windows. In the room is a bench and a table. A cat sits on that table looking through a window to a green meadow. One of the side windows is open. From childhood on the painting has mesmerized me. Did the cat jump into the room? Who lives in the house? Will they find the cat? What will happen then? Or does the cat live in the house? Is it contemplating escaping into the meadow? What will the cat find in the meadow? Will the cat return to the house once it has explored the meadow? I told myself a new story about the painting each time I visited my grandmother. And yet, my pen never captured any of them. That pool of inspiration may have been too deep. Unable to capture the cat stories, I was inspired to cast my net and capture others. 

(Much thanks to Angie and others on Facebook who helped me discover the artist of this painting.)

What stories does 2025 hold?

Wishing you the best of 2025.


7 Science-backed Ways to Channel Creativity by Amanda Lieber

Boosting Creativity: 8 ways to instantly unlock your creative flow by Alexandra Tudor

17 Ways to Find Inspiration and Spark Creativity by Nikki Carter

photo by Byron Dyck


January on this blog


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