  Poetry
This week: Colorblind Edited by: fyn  
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Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you're really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I've got a few missing. ~ John Mayer
Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons. ~ Al Hirschfeld
Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up. ~ Allen Klein
We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box. ~ Robert Fulghum
Coloring outside the lines is a fine art. ~ Kim Nance
All the other colors are just colors, but purple seems to have a soul — when you look at it, it's looking back at you. ~ Uniek Swain
My eyes went blank, and I stared off, and the music started. It was raining, and the sun was shining at the same time, and there were these big bay windows, and there was the blue in the sky, and the sun on the trees, and it was drizzling. ~ Al Jarreau
Red is the great clarifier - bright and revealing. I can't imagine becoming bored with red - it would be like becoming bored with the person you love. ~ Diana Vreeland
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Hi. I'm Fyn, and I'm Blue. Once upon a time, I was yellow. Before that, I was black. And before that, I hadn't been fortunate enough to discover Writing.com. I've been a writer since I could hold a pencil, been published, had my plays produced and, frankly, could not exist without writing. I have something upwards of 650 items in my port, and do lots of reviewing. I've been on WdC ten years come March 1st. I'm a regular person, a great-grandmother, something of a nut, a publisher, the lucky wife of my 'oh so fortunate' hubby and a write-a-holic. I'm not intimidating. (Really!) I don't prance around on a pedestal. (I'd fall off for sure as I'm a total klutz!) I don't bite.
OOh and guess what??!?? I love getting reviews. And that, dear friends, is the crux of this newsletter. When I turned blue (NEVER knew I could be so happy to 'be blue') the reviews I received dropped drastically. I get some now where folks begin with, " I don't normally review blue cases but..." or "I feel intimidated writing reviews on blue and higher cases..." Then I found out that I wasn't alone in this. Other blue and higher cases experience the same phenomena and it just makes me sad ... and frustrated ... and, I'll admit, kinda lonely.
I've been here forever, I've been blue for seven years now (WOW!) and yeah, I'm a pretty good writer, but that doesn't mean I don't like getting reviews. Same goes with those higher than I...they who breathe the rarefied air of the purple case or (gasp) the red!
Everyone likes to get reviews. They are useful, helpful, validating, smile-inducing and a huge part of what WdC is all about. Reviewing other works is a useful tool for writers as it helps a writer gain insight into what is good or needs help in other's work. It allows us to see fine examples of writing every bit as much as it helps us to see what may not work as well as it could. Sometimes, we get reviews from the proofreader of all proofers or from the Comma queens and kings which can help us improve as writers. (Isn't that what we ALL strive for?) Other times we get the less helpful (perhaps), but still ego stoking "I loved it. It was great! It reminded me of when I did such and such or when I was feeling ...." review that makes us smile and our hearts feel light. There is room for both in our cozy world. 
I wrote this a few years back...it explains my view on things quite well, I think.
On Being Blue
I used to think that MODS
were the best of the best on pedestal high
I was so in awe of them--
write 'em a review? Nah, I'll pass it by!
Intimidated? My gosh, yes
scared to death of their high blue-ness
Then came the day that I turned blue
and didn't the black cases change their view!
I'm still just me; I'm still just Fyn--
I'm the same me I've always been!
Only now folks were intimidated by me!
It'd come full circle don't you see!
So my greatest challenge and greatest joy
was in being a mentor; being color-blind,
able to teach, or edit or write
with any writer of like mind.
Case is merely a measure of time
and being involved verses able to rhyme!
Being a blue-case means the world
I love writing newsletters, being a judge,
yet still sometimes I see the awe
and honestly--I think, 'Oh fudge!'
But blues have POWER; yeah, what a joke
we still plod along wearing writer's yoke!
Sure we've been here now quite a while
we know the ropes that haven't changed
we stll have questions--don't know it all,
we still have words to rearrange!
Blue is a color, an honor, a rank
and SM for that I'll always thank!
Part of me thinks we blues are special:
we worked our butts off to get where we are
I can't imagine the work behind
someone crossing the purpled bar!
Funny how the awe still lingers
at purples and reds I point my finger!
One of the merit badges that means the most to me
is the Mentor one; and I'll tell you why.
That someone feels I've helped that much
gives me pause and makes me cry.
I always try to be what I want to receive;
tis the way to be, I believe.
So that is my challenge and my joy
being a mentor and honoring blue--
We're a special group with much to offer
and I'm humbled to share it with all of you!
Some comments from others of the blue-ish-red-ish-purple-ish ilk:
♥Hooves♥  : "Be not afraid. We are all just people behind the briefcases. Some are nicer than others and some are more polite than others and that goes for the yellow and black briefcases, too. Do not be afraid of anyone. The smart ones you can tell pretty quickly from the rest of the herd because they have manners. Who cares if a dumb steer is rude, that's what they do. When I meet someone who is not nice, or arrogant, or someone who does not do what they say, which is a big fad thing now amongst the steerage, I show them my hindquarters as I walk away and use them to enhance my villain portrayals somewhere down the line. If someone here does not know how to behave, the best revenge is to use their bad behavior in your writing, discreetly of course."
Cinn  : People can review anything they want of mine. Being a mod or staff member does not mean that your writing is better than a black or yellow case. Far from it. We are all here for feedback.
Hannah ♫♥♫  : Why was I made blue? Is it because I write better than you or anyone else? No. I've seen many black suitcases who write amazing stuff, yellows too. I believe we were chosen to be yellow because we showed some talent for writing, and we displayed a certain amount of community spirit, but I believe we were made blue solely because we showed lots of community spirit, logged on everyday, and got along well with others. So that being said, I am mimicking what Fyn already said: WE LOVE/CRAVE REVIEWS, and we appreciate you not putting us up on a pedestal and bypassing us just for our blueness; it makes us blue! PDG pays double (1,000 GPs per qualifying review of a blue, purple or red) in the hopes of turning this trend around.
Robert Waltz  : when it comes to being reviewed, I promise I don't bite.
Sum1  : Though our cases may be Red, Purple, or Blue, we're really common folk, just like you. We love to help others improve their writing, and getting reviewed by others is so exciting! So drop in on one of us and have a look around. We're sure there's plenty of reading to be found. *Smile*
Joy  : I appreciate all reviews, including those from other writers who didn't like my item, regardless of their case color. The reviewers, therefore, shouldn't hold back their comments, negative or positive. I think I receive a fair amount of reviews, and I am hoping they are all done in the spirit of helping my writing and giving me the reviewers' true opinions.
As I am quite sure that other blue, purple, and red cases feel the same way, WdC members shouldn't be hesitant to send us truthful reviews.
Jaeff | KBtW of the Free Folk  Back when I was yellow case (and even before that as a black case), I remember being intimidated by the thought of reviewing moderators, senior moderators, and staff items because those blue and purple and red cases were so official and important-looking! The thing is, almost all of us started as black cases and while our cases may be different colors now, that's a testament to our involvement here on the WdC community more than it is validation of our ability as writers. I've come to realize over the years - and over the promotions from yellow to blue and blue to purple - that moderators and staff are ultimately in the same place with their writing as yellow and black cases... that is to say, we're all at different levels of success, and none of us are at the point where we're beyond learning something new from someone else's feedback.
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Pick a blue, purple or red case and review something new today!!!
| |  | Hourglass (E)
A Shape Poem. We live our lives day to day; they flow by, like sand through an hourglass.
#1803220 by Sum1 |
| | | Family Choices (E)
When their mother dies Nicki and her brothers have to choose who they call family.
#2030351 by pkpass |
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2021284 by Not Available. |
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Lyn's a sly fox  says:A very interesting newsletter, definitely got my mind to thinking about water. I taste it all the time but I could not think of a simple word to describe the taste. I haven't given up yet.I saw a cluster of geese today and I thought your poem totally rocks! Thank you for a great read! Lyn
Thanks! :)
monty31802 writes: A fine News Letter. Descriptions are a fine thing if they are not overdone. Saying the same thing two ways is useless and will not stay in my mind for long.
Important concept as too often folks think describing in saying the same thing two or more different ways verses a complete description :)
DRSmith  comments: Hiya Fyn. Your item coaxed a nostalgic smile to my mug as some time ago, you once proffered the same metaphorical theme, and then challenged your fans to write a shorty to describe what water tastes like, recall? "Blue pork chops" I said, and offered you a little ditty in response to your challenge. Just ask hubby if I'm right... "ah yes, nothing like an ice cold blue pork chop to get the metabolism going, yes ind-e-e-d." As usual, we can always count on a good newsie from the Fyn's bin of musies.
Thanking you!
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Poetry: February 25, 2015 Issue [#6846]
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