Blooms in Winter

The gift of a new book inspires thoughts of spring

One of the best things about being a writer is knowing other creative people.

One of the most creative people I have ever met is also one of my closest friends.

Gay and Amy in DC. [I see I have my press credentials tucked into my blazer pocket…]

My dear friend Gay Cioffi is one of those people who seems to excel at everything she puts her hands to. Gay’s photographs are in gallery collections, her home and gardens are spectacular, and she has influenced generations of families through her long career as a teacher and parenting mentor.

She can also whip up a delicious meal for 12 while holding both a baby and an intelligent conversation.

Importantly, Gay is an artist who has a vision. In fact, “having a vision” is something she and I frequently talk about as we share our various ideas for projects we’re hoping to dream and scheme into reality.

This year, Gay created a book that I absolutely love, and I’m happy to spread the word about it.

As luck and timing would have it, I dove into this sweet book on the day of our first big snow. Giant fat flakes fell throughout the pre-dawn morning, making the roads trecherous. Vehicles slid off the roadway, school was cancelled, and limbs crashed onto power lines, causing widespread outages.

But inside this book, spring was in bloom.

Each page features a watercolor of a flower, paired with a carefully chosen quote that blooms alongside it.

Lovely.

The seeds for FLOWERS and WORDS were planted during a fallow period in the artist’s life where ideas floated through, but nothing seemed to stick. The desire to give a great friend a one-of-a-kind gift pulled this artist out of her rut, and she created a bound sketchbook to give away.

[Generosity really does have a way of shaking loose a stuck spirit.]

“This project began as a gift for a dear friend’s birthday. Her home and garden are always filled with beautiful flowers and her tributes to others are always filled with favorite and perfectly chosen quotes — from Winston Churchill to Winnie the Pooh. Creating the sketchbook was a fitting way to honor her.”

The sketchbook was enthusiastically received and passed from person to person — and people started asking for their own copies.

In response, Gay put FLOWERS and WORDS into production.

“Starting my own imprint, with the idea of creating more books and collaborating with other like-minded artists was a first step. Next came six weeks of researching where to print the book. In addition to reaching out to printers online, I asked anyone who I thought might have some insight or experience for their recommendations. I knew that I wanted to print it in the U.S., and I wanted to produce it in an environmentally responsible way. I settled on a printer in L.A. to produce a paperback sample of 10 books and finally chose Publication Studio in Troy, NY to print the first edition of 250 hardcover books.

“The book is now in its second printing. It was definitely a crash course in publishing, with fortunately not too many missteps. Getting the book to the marketplace has been a more challenging process. That said, I have learned a lot, and the book is now in stores as well as for sale online. It is being sold at bookstores, gift shops, and gardening centers.”

My friend Gay is one of my gardening gurus. Headed into the oftentimes bleak mid-winter season, I asked her to share her thoughts on gardens, gardening, and the joy of bringing blooms to life.

“I had my first garden in college and have continued to garden throughout my life. The metaphor of planting seeds, as an act of faith, is an obvious one. Gardening requires a belief in the future. There are no guarantees, but, you hope with the right combination of luck and intention, you will have a positive yield.

“Witnessing life unfold before you - whether in carefully tended soil or through a crack in the concrete - is transformative.”

[My own copy of FLOWERS and WORDS got a little wet in the snow that now covers one of my favorite summertime chairs]

Author and artist Gay Cioffi

If you are interested in purchasing this very stocking-stuffable book (hint hint), you can order FLOWERS and WORDS from Gay’s publishing website:

Beechviewpress.com

** I hope we can all inhale some inspiration this week and find the way through our own fallow periods — to plant or create something beautiful and unfolding.

Love,

Amy