A Goblin Valley moment
Hello everyone and welcome back to Mermaid Cove!
This month we turn our attention to inspiration and creativity—those twin forces that so often rise together. Inspiration is the spark, the inner shift that nudges us toward making something new. Whether that creation becomes a paragraph, a sketch, or a painting, it begins with an encounter that stirs us.
In this issue, we explore Utah’s Goblin Valley, a landscape that has stirred writers, poets, and painters for generations. Our recent time there reminded us how the raw wonder of nature can move us to respond—through words, pigment, or the quiet click of a shutter.
However you choose to capture beauty—on an easel, in the mind’s eye of a reader, or through the lens of your camera—it begins with exposure to the world’s offerings. Inspiration arrives first, and creativity follows.
Seek it, explore it, live it.
You have a story……tell it.
~Scott
What’s in the Cove
Where Wonder Shapes Story: How Utah’s Goblin Valley Inspires Writing and Art
Writing Prompts to Inspire You
A Glimpse into The Noveara Chronicles, an upcoming sci-fi novel
The Closing Current
We begin with Utah’s Goblin Valley…
Where Wonder Shapes Story: How Utah’s Goblin Valley Inspires Writing and Art
Utah’s Goblin Valley is one of those unique places that feels alive — whimsical, eerie, and ancient all at once. When you walk among the hoodoos, you can’t help but feel like you’ve stepped into a world sculpted by imagination itself. Each formation looks like a character frozen mid‑story, waiting for someone to give it a voice.
When we recently visited Goblin Valley, we wandered through clusters of stone “goblins,” each one shaped over millions of years by wind, water, and time. Some looked like guardians. Others resembled creatures or animals. Most felt like they were whispering stories only the desert could tell.
And that’s where the magic happens — because creativity thrives in places that make us pause, wonder, and imagine.
Creative projects don’t usually begin at a desk. They begin in places like Goblin Valley — standing in front of a towering goblin formation, noticing the way the shadows carve out expressions, or how the warm desert palette shifts with every passing cloud.
Nature becomes a collaborator for creative projects.
Goblin Valley reminded us that art and storytelling are deeply connected to the landscapes we explore. The textures, colors, and shapes of the desert inspire artists while the mystery and mythology of the formations inspire stories. The entire experience inspires all creators to think bigger.
For writers, especially those that …
READ THE FULL BLOG POST ON OUR WEBSITE.
Over the coming weeks via social media, we’ll be sharing writing prompts inspired by the desert. We’ll offer fiction, poetry, and non-fiction prompts. We will also have some tips for turning natural inspiration into publishable work.
While we’re talking about inspiration…
Writing Prompts
Try your hand at a few of these prompts. Here are a few more photos to spark your imagination. Don’t forget to share with us!
The Desert’s Memory
Each goblin holds a memory of the land’s past.
Write a story where a character touches one and experiences a vision.
Desert Breath
Write a poem where the wind is a character shaping the goblins, whispering its intentions through the valley.
Erosion as Metaphor
Use erosion as a metaphor for something in your life—change, loss, growth, or clarity.
One more thing—while we’re discussing creative stories…
A Glimpse of The Noveara Chronicles, by David Ray Boven.
This World’s changing. I can sense it in the very environs. Time’s the great changer of the past; for much of that ancient past has been recalled, because there’s at least one alive who can still remember it.
Years ago, he came to us, not only blessing us with his contributions, but also with the knowledge of his ancient, advanced civilization. So ancient is it that his history has become legend and legend myth. Yet even in the most incredible myths lie grains of truth.
Don’t go yet…
What’s your ‘wander’ wonder?
Have you been inspired by a particular landscape in your writing or art? Submit your story or outline and we can help you develop it. If you have an art project in development, we would love to catch a glimpse. You have a story…tell it.
The Closing Current
As we close out this week’s letter, we feel blessed that you took a few minutes to spend time with us. As you go about your daily life look for the wonder of the landscape around you and be inspired.
This past weekend we were vendors at the Rebec Vineyard’s Wine and Garlic Festival. Even though the festival was shortened by a day because of the monsoon weather than came pouring through Saturday night and into Sunday, it was still enlightening to visit with everyone that stopped by the booth. It warms our soul to hear how important books are to people and their loved ones.
This was our third year at the festival and every year is different. This year we had a lot of photographers stop by the tent to look at our prints and discuss all things photography! From event photographers to nature macro photographers, it was neat to talk cameras and techniques with fellow enthusiasts.
If you stopped by our tent, thank you very much for your support and encouragement. If you didn’t have the chance, The Made in Mathews Studio Tour is not far away. Stop in to see our new Gallery and new collection of books in our catalogue.
We can’t wait to share more with you next time. Until then, we hope you have a Goblin Valley moment—a spark that becomes the backbone of something creative. You have a story—tell it.
Seek it. Explore it. Live it.
P. S. If you know someone that would enjoy this newsletter, please forward to them.
True life mermaids (or mermen) believe in themselves, they embrace their creativity and live life to the fullest.
