Ice is nice in drinks
And rinks.
But on sidewalks and streets —
It STINKS.
Ice is Nice
Jamie A. Swenson
Stolen Moments
“I’ve seen women insist on cleaning everything in the house before they could sit down to write… and you know it’s a funny thing about housecleaning… it never comes to an end. Perfect way to stop a woman. A woman must be careful to not allow over-responsibility (or over-respectabilty) to steal her necessary creative rests, riffs, and raptures. She simply must put her foot down and say no to half of what she believes she “should” be doing. Art is not meant to be created in stolen moments only.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés
This is so very true – HOWEVER – do not let the fact that you are stealing moments stop you either. Art shouldn’t be created in stolen moments – but of course it is, and likely, always will be. In a perfect world, we would not consider the theft of time the only way to do something that nourishes the soul. We would have time set carefully aside – no – blocked off in gigantic letters and highlighted in neon colors. Time that would be ONLY for ART. And we would feel so artistic during this time that we would create AMAZING things that our friends and family would all behold and say, “Oh, yes – this is why we never disturb her during her special Art Block.”
But, welcome to the real world. If you want to write – find the time and steal it back. Yes, it might be at 5 a.m. or maybe it’s somewhere between dropping a child off at school and running to an appointment. These are your precious stolen moments. Grab ’em up.
But ALSO look for those special blocks of time that you might otherwise give to a volunteer project or to the laundry. Use that neon highlighter and BLOCK IT OFF. I used to do this with great intention — and it worked. I knew I had two hours a week to write – and like clockwork – I showed up, butt in chair – and I wrote for a good forty-five minutes of that two hour block. I needed the whole two hours though – to simmer – to think – to daydream – and to write. In the past few years, I’ve allowed that time slot to evaporate – which was a HUGE mistake on my part. I’m taking it back. But, in the meantime, I’m stealing my moments wherever I see them.
In all honesty, I’ve never really allowed the mundane housework stuff stop me too often. Dishes will wait. Laundry will pile. Crumbs on the floor build character, and if your child eats one, all the better. According to WebMD (a trusted and valued source of backing up my thoughts on this topic) “the young immune system is strengthened by exposure to everyday germs so that it can learn, adapt, and regulate itself, notes Thom McDade, PhD, associate professor and director of the Laboratory for Human Biology Research at Northwestern University.”
So, really, you’re not only stealing moments to create your art – you are helping prevent any number of childhood illnesses. You’re welcome.
Prompt for today: Think about the cleanest house you were ever in as a child (or adult if your want – it’s your prompt). Describe that space and the person(s) who kept it clean. How did it make you feel? Now imagine something terribly messy happening in that place and the reaction of everyone involved.
Hello Again
I’m back. I took what I expected to be a brief break … and in the scheme of life, I guess six or so years could be considered brief. In the writing world, it’s the blink of an eye.
So WHY am I back? Because I’ve missed you and this form of writing. I’ve spent nearly a decade chasing after contracts – and catching a few. And I’m proud of the books that have ended up in the world — and the books to come. I have a book due out in 2021 and 2022 one from Sleeping Bear Press and one from Paula Wiseman Books.
Of course, I’ve stopped holding my breath. Books simply take their time. That’s a hard lesson to learn in this world of immediate gratification and instant self-publishing. Oh, believe me – I’ve been tempted at times to upload a file and TA-DA a book. I’ve edited quite a few of these types of books over the years — and have decided that, for your good, my good, the good of the world and the reading public — it is best that I wait for the traditionally vetted product. The whole simmering (for years at times), rejections (for years at times), interest/contract stage (for years at times), editorial & illustration process (you know what goes here), and then finally – this amazing book that represents the creative talents of a small community of people — that is pretty darn cool. Plus – I REALLY, REALLY need a good copy editor. You likely agree with me if you’ve read many of my blog posts. Blogs are a different beast – errors and all – and the closest to immediate publishing gradification I will allow myself.
What to expect in future posts: a bit of this, a bit of that – thoughts on storytelling, writing, reading, raising adult children, finding writing space for yourself (and not feeling guilty about it), prompts, encouragement, and a little conversation in this sometimes dark, but always spectacular world.