It's a new year. Let's try something new ...

Hello to the reading world! Thank goodness that we still exist. We need to redeem the ignorance that seems to be taking over our entire world.

Sometimes, I feel negligent that I do not create literature or art that is political or socially aware in the "news" sense. I feel very deeply about many issues and have strong opinions about most of the issues.

But, I learned a long time ago to do what I do best. I try to bring pleasure to others with my art. For years, I created designs in clothing, furniture and décor that was designed to bring pleasure to those of us who do not have gold cards and multiple houses. I have done work for some of those people, but they have never been my focus.

Since the pandemic, I have moved most of my work towards more digital offerings, rather than the sort that needs personal contact. I found that I had some aptitude for creating digital merchandise. And ... I find that I love it.

I also realized talking to many other people who were forced to rebrand themselves during the pandemic ... that while I might never write anything that is majorly PROFOUND, if I am able to create pleasing work that helps to give something uplifting and normalizing as well as REAL to those in the world who are normally relegated to the fringes of literature or deemed the habitual "bad guys", then I will have fulfilled my "calling".

I was horrified and deeply offended during the pandemic when I heard that some people were throwing a tantrum because a movie decided to cast a young mixed black lady in a role that ... now think about this ... if the character were actually a REAL, LIVE HUMAN ... would be blue or green. I'm talking about the Little Mermaid.

Without delving into the political, whenever someone goes against what is considered by some as "the norm", there is a percentage of our population gets ridiculously and unfairly angry. This saddens and offends me. Aren't we all human? I guess not ... huh? Anyways ...

I was sitting at home during the pandemic, and all of a sudden, stories that had stagnated for years, stories that had previously been nothing but a passing thought, photos and book covers that I had found and created for other people and other gigs ... became passionate obsessions with me and I have been creating ever since. I am now motivated to create stories that uplift people of color, black people, women and the lgbtqia community without putting down their "opposites". There is no need. People are people and within each sector, there are good, bad and those in between.

But these stories are designed to allow voices to those that have never had much of a voice before. No, I am not the only person doing this. But the dearth of this type of literature and the fact that there are people who would still consider this "wrong thinking" ... means ... the more the merrier.

I am no Stephen King but my stories have value. And I feel that my writing is getting better. And it will continue to do so. I thank those of you who have followed and encouraged me along the way. You have no idea just how much of a blessing you have been to me as I am a member of several of those "behind the eight ball no matter what" groups.

And, since this is my VERY, VERY first blog ... I have to say ... my apologies ahead of time as well as a heartfelt "thank you" ...

Mara B