On Stephen King, HORROR & cool creative artists

I've been thinking about the horror genre lately, as I'm polishing my psychological contemporary YA horror novel. Recently I've read a few good posts on the topic, including this one in The Guardian with Stephen King, talking about his new book Doctor Sleep (Sequel to The Shining), and his revelations about his alcoholism and former drinking days. King says that it's still not exactly the second golden age of horror, though some authors think we're headed there.

Here are more posts on horror that I found on Kristen Lamb's informative blog. They're written by horror author, Kevin Lucia, and are quite fun and helpful to anyone writing horror, or a blend thereof.
Why is Horror Important-Part 1
Why is Horror Important-Part 2
Why Writing Horror is-SHOULD BE-Hard, Part 1
Why Writing Horror is--SHOULD BE-Hard, Part 2

TC Steele, oil on canvas

TC Steele, oil on canvas

TC Steele's porch, the set
for some of his paintings

I find that I'm inspired by not only authors who are writing in my genre, but many types of creative thinkers. I just got back from a trip to Indiana, where we visited the TC Steele Museum, and saw his former studio and home. He was a prominent painter of landscape in the late 1800's and he inspired other artists of the time to travel to Nashville, Indiana and set up a thriving artist colony. It is a

TC Steele, studio table

gorgeous setting--up in the forested hills, surrounded by cornfields and other crops. I was struck by his easel setup that still had his oils in cigar boxes, and even had the cigars he smoked while painting!

Gustave Baumann, woodcut

Gustave Baumann, woodcut

Gustave Baumann, one of the artists in the colony, was my favorite. He did detailed woodcuts that are like jewels. He eventually moved to Santa Fe, which, as most people know, became another popular artist colony. Anyone who lives and breathes the creative life, day by day, I find terrifically inspiring, don't you? Who are your most inspiring mentors? Artists? Authors? Musicians?

One final thing, I've gotten some great reviews for Ruby's Fire, and this blog, Eating Kids' Media, is worth checking out. Also, here's my guest post on creating worlds for The Artist Unleashed!