Confession Tuesday

I confess. I miss posting on Tuesdays.

Until June, I had not written a poem since November 2015. Now, for a while I did not want to write. Then, I was too tired to write while planning the festival. And when I finally wanted to write, I had a hard time getting started. Lots of doubts and old insecurities reading their ugly mugs.

Here’s what’s gotten me out of my funk:


  1. Clearing some of the clutter—physical and mental—from my life. From finding a home for my book collection to pushing back on some commitments, making some adjustments to my priorities has made all the difference.
  2. Create breathing space. With the school year ended, I was able to clear my schedule. That helped a great deal.
  3. Getting back into some old habits. I’m eating and sleeping better, and exercising more. Baby steps. 
  4. Trying new things. At the beginning of May, I sought the advice of a dear friend to help me set a new course. So far, with some adjustments, her advice has pushed me into uncharted waters. Now it’s up to me to continue the work.

Maybe the biggest lesson I’ve learned has to do with balancing my time. In late spring, I worked really hard to get my schedule under control. But that schedule doesn’t work for me now. Seems I tended to put my creativity into one- or two-hour time slots, fitting it in whenever I could. But I’m happiest when I can give myself long blocks of uninterrupted time. I mean, if my creative life is the most important thing to me, then my schedule needs to reflect that. So I am devoting my mornings to writing. Chores and email can wait. Also, this is when the kids have camps and activities outside of the home—perfect time for me to write and revise.

As for my blog, it’s due for an update, but for now I will post at least twice a week. This is me attempting to revive an old habit for a new purpose.

Comments

Kay Cooke said…
You've made some wise changes, January. Looking forward to tracking your progress. I too am looking forward to getting back to poetry after a protracted prose-writing few months.

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