I came down with COVID a couple of weeks ago. My mother fell in her home in Colorado, where she lived alone with her animals, a year ago on Halloween. Now she’s dead. What a year. My week at home during the worst of the illness was the first time I’ve sat quietly and let the events of the last year wash over me without distraction or the exigencies of day-to-day life. In the months before her death my focus was on managing her situation, traveling, working with my brother, and supporting Mom long distance as her dementia deepened. After her death we faced weeks of estate work and disposing of her real estate.
Sorry to hear you haven’t been well, and my condolences on the passing of your mother. I lost my father last month and can sympathize with how difficult it all can be. I’ve had no motivation these last months to complete my third book (and revise another) which is part of what prompted me to take a look at my hopes for writing. It sounds like you’ve found a good path for your own writing journey. Thanks for the mention! I hope to catch up with your stories when things settle down a bit! Be well :-)
Thank you for this. It resonates so much and made me think - I'm still trying to prove myself, probably to my mother, who died 10+ years ago. (Old habits . . .) The money thing feels so real as validation -- especially for an artist. I'm lucky to have a "day job" teaching architecture, which is nice and practical and justifies my continued existence. And yet, though I love many aspects of it, I also feel trapped. Whenever someone asks me about my writing, the first thing I say is, I don't have enough time. I do write, but it always feels like not enough -- because, day job. I can see a reframe is in order. Hope you're feeling better now.
Well, too bad we can't have a cup of tea together and commiserate! But you don't want my cooties. What is this thing we do -- trying to justify our existence? Ugh. Why do we think we need to do that? I work, too. I love my day job. I make a valuable contribution and I earn my paycheck, and yes, of course it takes time and energy away from writing. But I also know I can make time for my own joy. The question is not can I, but will I?! And really, joy isn't about money. I know that. As you say, though, it feels so real. And everyone else is doing it! Except, of course, they're better than me ... But that's silly. I know it is. And yet ... I suspect many of us are in this circular thinking. Well, I know we are, because in less than an hour I read 4 posts about it! Thanks for reading and commenting. If you find a magic bullet, let me know. Otherwise, let's just write, and have fun, and enjoy ourselves, and share our work. Why not?
It does feel circular - absolutely! I'm pleased that I defied the voice of urgency and passed a pleasant hour finalizing and posting my latest. Happy writing to you!
Thank you! I'm sorry about your loss, too. The path forward can be difficult to find, but we help each other. You've been a wonderful guide for me. So often you seem to write about the very thing I'm thinking about. Nice synchronicity. Maybe in the dark of the year (where miracles happen) we'll both find some creative renewal.
Sorry to hear you haven’t been well, and my condolences on the passing of your mother. I lost my father last month and can sympathize with how difficult it all can be. I’ve had no motivation these last months to complete my third book (and revise another) which is part of what prompted me to take a look at my hopes for writing. It sounds like you’ve found a good path for your own writing journey. Thanks for the mention! I hope to catch up with your stories when things settle down a bit! Be well :-)
Thank you for this. It resonates so much and made me think - I'm still trying to prove myself, probably to my mother, who died 10+ years ago. (Old habits . . .) The money thing feels so real as validation -- especially for an artist. I'm lucky to have a "day job" teaching architecture, which is nice and practical and justifies my continued existence. And yet, though I love many aspects of it, I also feel trapped. Whenever someone asks me about my writing, the first thing I say is, I don't have enough time. I do write, but it always feels like not enough -- because, day job. I can see a reframe is in order. Hope you're feeling better now.
Well, too bad we can't have a cup of tea together and commiserate! But you don't want my cooties. What is this thing we do -- trying to justify our existence? Ugh. Why do we think we need to do that? I work, too. I love my day job. I make a valuable contribution and I earn my paycheck, and yes, of course it takes time and energy away from writing. But I also know I can make time for my own joy. The question is not can I, but will I?! And really, joy isn't about money. I know that. As you say, though, it feels so real. And everyone else is doing it! Except, of course, they're better than me ... But that's silly. I know it is. And yet ... I suspect many of us are in this circular thinking. Well, I know we are, because in less than an hour I read 4 posts about it! Thanks for reading and commenting. If you find a magic bullet, let me know. Otherwise, let's just write, and have fun, and enjoy ourselves, and share our work. Why not?
It does feel circular - absolutely! I'm pleased that I defied the voice of urgency and passed a pleasant hour finalizing and posting my latest. Happy writing to you!
Thank you! I'm sorry about your loss, too. The path forward can be difficult to find, but we help each other. You've been a wonderful guide for me. So often you seem to write about the very thing I'm thinking about. Nice synchronicity. Maybe in the dark of the year (where miracles happen) we'll both find some creative renewal.