As I go deeper into the woods, I hear the sound of an active stream.  Through the trees I catch a glimpse of the house.  I pick up the pace, and then Fallingwater comes into full view sitting on top of a waterfall.  My mouth drops open.  All the photographs I have seen don't do justice to this unique house and its imposing site.

I have to remind myself that the house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 and built in 1936.  It was the time of the Great Depression and a time when organic and modern architecture weren't commonly practiced.

Fallingwater, the once weekend retreat for successful businessman Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. and family, sits in a remote area of the forest.  A variety of oak trees, other hardwoods, and native white rhododendrons surround the hideaway.  Built mainly of glass, steel, concrete and native sandstone, the retreat is a sight to behold.  Low to the ground and three stories high, cantilevered terraces with reinforced concrete jut out into space.  One continuous vertical window framed in steel and painted red, starts at the basement and goes up to the third floor.

Through a slit between two walls on the side of the house, I enter Fallingwater.  The entry seems a bit dark.  But when I get to the living room, the space opens up and I'm hit by a flood of natural light.  The enormous room, which measures 35' x 45', has broad bands of windowpanes.  The windowpanes emit an incredible amount of light.  And because the space is based on an open floor plan that has no partitions, the windowpanes also provide unobstructive views of nature from all sides.



The focal point of the living room is the hearth, a favorite boulder on which Kaufmann sunbathed.  The living rock protrudes about one foot through the floor. Wright incorporates the boulder as a basic part of the house because he believes the house should evolve from the site.

The floor of the room is made of quarried stone, and it's one continuous surface that goes from the inside to the outside where it becomes the terrace.

The walls are rough sandstone laid down in horizontal uneven layers.  Wright reiterates the horizontal uneven pattern of sandstone as it appears in nature. Like the floor, the walls continue to the outside of the house.  

Wright uses very limited colors and materials inside and outside of the house.  He uses the natural colors of site materials and nature. The color of the sandstone walls is ecru, and he adds red and yellow as accent colors.

The remainder of the house consists of two to three bedrooms, a modern kitchen, a skylighted reading area, a music alcove, and a hatch that opens up and provides access to the stream. 

In addition to the main house, there is a guest house located a short distance away.

Frank Lloyd Wright and Edgar J. Kaufmann were two unconventional and bold thinkers.  They loved nature and strongly believed it should be a major component of life.  Wright brought nature and architecture together and made them a unified whole.  It was daring and original, and it was organic architecture at its finest. Fallingwater was truly remarkable for its time. Kaufmann not only lived in nature, he also became a part of it.




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Bibliography:

Hoffman, Donald.  Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.  New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993. 

Nash, Eric Peter.  Frank Lloyd Wright: Force of Nature.  New York: Smithmark, 1996.

Here is Cameron's writing exercise that I use to free my mind and even prep it for writing:

1.  First thing in the morning, take out three blank sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper.  Be sure to use no fewer than three sheets of paper and use paper no smaller than 8 1/2 x 11.  This is to allow for ample writing space.

Cameron highly suggests that you do this exercise first thing in the morning and make it a daily routine.  The exercise is more rewarding when done at a certain time.

2.  Write in longhand; don't use the keyboard.

As Cameron explains, "There is energy to the hand that leads our thoughts to a deeper and more connected place."  I talk about this profound connection in my earlier entry titled "It's a Pen-Paper Writing Process."

3. Sit down and get comfortable because this writing exercise can take approximately 30 minutes.  Put pen to paper and let her rip!  Write down everything -- I mean EVERYTHING -- that comes to mind.  Don't worry about the mechanics of writing and don't censor a word.  This exercise is for your eyes only.

Cameron points out that it's important to get the words down on paper and write from the gut. Writing from the gut is that "deeper and more connected place" she talks about above.

I don't believe Cameron mentions whether to keep the Morning Pages or discard them.  I don't feel the need to keep them, so I discard them the next day.

Doing Morning Pages has been extremely beneficial to me.  Writing all of my thoughts down on paper without censoring not only gets everything off my chest, but also teaches me to write more freely.  And doing the pages first thing in the morning has its advantages.  Acknowledging the thoughts and giving them priority first thing in the morning silence the thoughts and calm the mind.  I've noticed that when I write my thoughts down early in the morning, they tend to not resurface during the day or continually vie for my attention.  Morning Pages is a simple yet powerful writing tool that helps me concentrate better and write more effectively.

I should have done Morning Pages a long time ago.  Thank you, Julia!




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Bibliography:

Cameron, Julia.  The Right to Write.  New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putman, 1998.

. . . you have a sign on the door that says " Do Not Disturb - Writer At Work."

. . . you eat, sleep, and breathe words.

. . . you use a pseudonym: "Hi, I'm B.H. Emingway."

. . . you go into a quiet secluded room, shut the door, sit at a desk, and wreck serious havoc
      on the brain.

. . . you name your children 1st Draft, 2nd Draft, 3rd Draft, and Final Draft.

. . . you revise a piece of writing over and over and over.

. . . you do a word count.

. . . you have a file full of rejection letters.

. . . stranded on a deserted island with a pen and a sheet of paper, you write a grant 
      proposal outlining the rescue plan.

. . . you order a New York Times Bestselling Author Sandwich with a side order of Big 
      Advance.
















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Chronic homelessness can last a long time.  Many homeless people who are unsheltered fall in this category.  The length of time on the streets is primarily determined by circumstance. Some people have an advantage over others.  They have a car, a little money, or periodic help. But the people who have close to nothing make up the majority of this group.  To understand their plight and challenges, take a look at some of the core problems.

Poverty and Long-Term Unemployment

Poverty is one of the core reasons for chronic homelessness.  Virtually every person who has been on the streets for a long time has problems deep-rooted in money.  A lack of money.  Making money is the answer, but when a person is homeless, the solution is not cut-and-dried.  There are other factors to consider.

Long-term unemployment plays a large role in poverty. There are two groups of people that this does not apply to.  They are the people with mental illness and the substance abusers.  Due to their issues, they are unable to hold down a job.  But for most of the chronically homeless, it all starts with long-term unemployment.  Lack of work and poverty are closely linked because one gives rise to the other.  And when both merge, they form a tight circle that is hard to break.  However, if the following needs are met, the circle can be broken:

1.  Temporary Long-Term Housing -  It takes time--a lot of time--to rebuild a life where the landscape has been totally stripped.  When a person is trying to make a huge change from being chronically homeless to being an employee, it is a long haul.  He or she needs help.  And the initial help that he or she needs is long-term housing.  Nourishing food, a bed, a place to maintain personal hygiene, and a place to rest and get ready for the next day's work are paramount to a successful transition.  Without housing and basic necessities, a job is at risk. 
2.  Companies that Hire the Homeless - Looking for a job to resolve the poverty issue is an arduous endeavor.  Most chronically homeless people do not have much to work with.  Many of them do not have a cell phone, an address, reliable transportation, and a resume with references.  Due to some of these reasons, many companies will not hire them. But there are companies that do and finding them is not an easy task.

Homeless Assistance Programs and Caught in the Gap

Another core reason for chronic homelessness is a lack of different programs to help meet the special needs of the homeless.  To my knowledge, in the state of California, most homeless assistance programs are for families with minor children.  Other programs are set up to take in only adult males, only adult females, or only people who have escaped domestic abuse.  A few programs are set up for individuals, but there is often a long waiting list.

For the chronically homeless who have special circumstances and needs and do not meet the criteria, there are hardly any programs available.  They might be a family with a member who has a health issue and requires special accommodation.  They might be a family with young adults, and the young adults have not been able to find work.  Whatever the case may be, this small group falls into what I call the program gap: a hole or empty space between programs.  

Lack of a Sufficient Support System

One of the saddest facts of being homeless is when there is little to no family support.  Lack of sufficient support is the last core reason for chronic homelessness.  There are a multitude of reasons why this happens, but the following are common causes for inadequate support or no support at all:

1.  Short-Term Support - Chronic homelessness requires long-term assistance.  Many families cannot provide assistance for the long-term, and since the recession of 2007, it is even harder for them to help a member in dire need.  But some families can provide short-term help with housing, basic needs, and a little financial support.
2.  Limited Short-Term Support - Some families can also provide short-term support, but it is limited.  They can provide either housing or a little financial support.  
3.  Inability to Help - There are other families that want to help, but cannot provide any assistance because it would create serious problems and financial hardships.  To provide any assistance would put them at risk for homelessness.
4.  The More Common Reason - Unfortunately, the more common reason seems to be that some families refuse to help in any way because there is a breakdown in the family unit and/or a lack of close family ties.

There is an End to Chronic Homelessness

Chronic homelessness feels like an eternity.  Problems seem so insurmountable that it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.  There is light at the end of the tunnel, and there is an end to chronic homelessness.  Success comes to those who persist.  With a positive attitude and continuous effort, there is no problem that is unsolvable or no situation that cannot be turned around.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, defines homeless as "having no home or permanent residence."  Although it is a good definition and a major cause of homelessness, the definition covers the tip of a towering iceberg.  Homelessness is much more than being without a home.

Expanding on the Meaning 

There are different degrees of homelessness and different groups of homeless people.  Therefore, the homeless condition varies.  For instance, the homeless person who lives, sleeps, and walks the streets has a different experience from the homeless person who lives, sleeps, and drives around in a car. The person who walks the streets deals with a full-blown homeless lifestyle.  It means living life on a raw level, including complete vulnerability to the elements and dangers of street life.  The person who drives around in a car has a similar existence, but the exposure to the elements and dangers are of a lesser degree.  The vehicle provides shelter and protection, so the lifestyle is not as severe.

Even though the definition differs, most homeless people will agree that homelessness is a demeaning, unforgiving, and taxing lifestyle.  Living on the streets, no matter what form, is unhealthy and dangerous.

What It Means to Be Homeless

Being homeless is excruciatingly painful.  Living without a base from which to operate, or a place from which to build a normal life creates a huge void and numerous problems.  Faced with extreme limitations and hardships, the homeless person is forced to live like a nomad in a continuous state of survival mode and instability. Because poverty is prevalent in this population, it compounds the problems.  All of these issues contribute to an undesirable image, a label, and intangible losses.

Generally the moment a person becomes homeless, he or she is stereotype, stigmatize, and label an outcast despite what caused the displacement.  Many of the reasons for homelessness (which will be discussed in another article) do not justify such a damaging label. The homeless person can be a substance abuser, or an executive who lost his or her job and home.  What is important to note is that the homeless population has changed dramatically, and it is now a diverse group.

In addition to grappling with a damaging label and stereotyped perceptions, the homeless suffer from intangible and emotional losses.  As mentioned above, many homeless people live in abject poverty.  Money is an essential necessity in life, particularly because it affords freedom.  Freedom to choose. Freedom to make independent decisions.  In the homeless lifestyle, these are the first liberties to go.  Without money, there is considerable loss of freedom and control.

Then there are the emotional losses.  The losses that take a toll on a human being.  The homeless lifestyle is so harsh and relentless that over time, it can weaken the strongest resolve.  Since homelessness can last anywhere from months to years to decades, there is often a major decline of the human spirit.  And along with the loss of the human spirit comes a loss of hope.  Hope is the component that sustains a person through a homeless experience.  It is the driving force that can help overcome incredible odds.  Without hope, homelessness can go from a transitional stage to a fixed lifestyle.

Homelessness is a life-changing event that affects a person on a primal level.  A home is a basic necessity for survival.  It is the heart and soul of a person and without it, there is no foundation or normalcy.  Homelessness is a painful reminder of how vital housing is in life.   



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Homelessness is a broad, complex, and sensitive topic.  To make the topic manageable, I will be writing a series of short articles.

The homeless is a diverse and grossly misunderstood group.  My goals are to help sort out the population and bring more interest, compassion, and understanding to their plight and issues. A series of articles will break down the topic in categories, and they will inform, clarify, and encourage thinking from a different perspective.

I hope you will find the upcoming articles informative and thought-provoking.  The first entry will be posted in approximately 1 1/2 - 2 weeks.


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With a desktop or laptop and a software program, the writing process is easier and faster.  All you have to do is fire up the computer, open up a Microsoft Word program, and let the creative juices flow.  No more notebooks, trash cans overflowing with crumpled up papers, pens running out of ink, writer's cramp, and you get to stare at a blank screen instead of blank paper when writer's block derails you.  In addition, the keyboard is faster and mightier than longhand.

That said, I still prefer to write my rough drafts with pen and paper and then transfer the contents onto the computer for the editing stage.  When I use the pen-paper writing method, I reap benefits that I don't get from the keyboard and the computer.

There is a profound, significant difference in my writing experience when I use the pen-paper method.  I think and write better on paper, so I automatically relate to the medium.  Paper is a more personal medium than an electronic machine.  When I write words down and see them on paper, I feel connected to my work.  The act of writing on paper produces an emotional bond between the medium and me.  I find this bond particularly beneficial in the rough draft stage when I'm writing from the heart.  The interaction enhances my creativity and helps me in the development of ideas and their direction.

To me, writing is largely a mental process.  I believe paper can be a helpful element, but in the end, the medium used is usually a matter of preference and convenience.




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