I love so many forms of art. I’ve dabbled in beading and jewelry; photography and painting and pastels. I make dreamcatchers (and when I find the right materials, I’ll post pictures of the steampunked dreamcatchers I’m itching to make). I even used to take voice lessons. Not that they helped.
But my favorite forms of art, outside of writing?
Dancing and acting. I love the physicality — how all you need is your body to tell a story. There is something magical about that. Two shows hold auditions next weekend, but unfortunately the performance schedules of both conflict with the World Fantasy Convention. (Anyone else going to Toronto in November?)
Mash-ups. The blurring and blending of media. I love those too, for the unexpectedness. I love when the telling of a story becomes a multi-sensory experience — one where we are made aware of the different senses. Reading a (traditional) book involves the texture in your hands, the rustle of turning pages, the scent of ink and paper…but we aren’t necessarily aware of those things on a conscious level.
I also have a love affair with architecture, but that’s another post.
So tell me about your loves: your passions and your hobbies. What do you love to do, even if you don’t know much, or don’t have confidence in your abilities? Things you wouldn’t necessarily use to define yourself? (I define myself as a writer, but not a dancer or photographer, and certainly not a singer.) You don’t have to be good at something to love it.
Melissa Burkart 
l’m not particularly good at it, but l love 2 draw. Although most of my sketches ‘n drawings r mostly of the “super” variety, l also enjoy have enjoyed depicting things that veer 2ward sci-fi, & sci-fantasy. 0nce upon a time l also drew surrealistic(ish)/abstraction(ish) type things.
By necessity, i also like 2 cook, Mostly vegetarian ‘n vegan things. —Though u wouldn’t think it, 2 look at me — Yeah, l’m a bit of a tank 🙂
Also, though l’m primarily a comics guy (getting back briefly, 2 the art) l like everything, from the paintings of Frank Frazetta, 2 the pics of Anne Geddes. Then there’s Muminchantz (spelling guess), a dance troop that one has 2 see, 2 believe. They pre-date the BlueManGroup by a decade or two, as far as l know {uh-oh, this is starting 2 get lengthy, again} And w/ that, l’ll bid u adieu.
Excellent post, btw!
take care, M.J.
I didn’t even think of cooking!
Your drawings sound exactly the sort of things I like (and the sort of thing that some other folks around here like). If you ever have any you want seen, feel free to share!
You keep asking such good questions! So now there’s part of me (the part wanting to blog more on WP) that’s thinking about linking to your question posts when I answer them in my blog. It’ll be the MJ King Response Hour or something. #isadork
I will eventually answer your question. Until then, I love that you said, “You don’t have to be good at something to love it.” That is so true, and it’s good to remember that most times, loving something is a better reason to do it than being good at it. If nothing else, doing what you love will give you joy that’s contagious.
Though we may not always be the best at doing what we love, Barbara Sher says we all have a talent for what we love, and I’m inclined to agree with her reasoning: when you love something, you see it better than other people; you’re looking at it closely, and with interest and intensity. If you love something, you SEE it and are excited by it, and thus in a better position to share it with the world.
I love it when you’re a dork. Just so you know. And seriously, if anything I say here makes you want to post on your site, go right ahead! I can’t wait to see what you’ll say. You’re always way more fantastic than you give yourself credit for.