I feel like you're giving me a sneak peek into what I need to do. I'm already learning to use that delete button, and working on not shoulding all over myself. As someone who is strengths conversant, you know how hard this can be for someone who has top 5 Empathy, Achiever, & Responsibility to know deep in their gut they are at the point of no joy, but to also have commitments that must be met. Right now, I am writing to get to the end and I know it. Thank you for sharing your journey through this.
*hugs* I've been there so I'm sending love. I had writing obligations to fulfill before this sabbatical so I know what it's like to be on fumes trying to cross the finish line. I hope you can get there and then take some time to recuperate and refill the well. It's been a weird transition and I'm still feeling my way through it. After being under deadline continuously for over a decade (I feel like you've had a similar timeline if I'm remembering right), it's strange to not have something due.
Yes, it's been a little over a decade, but I have definitely slowed down from the early days. If it helps, from this perspective you seem to be navigating wonderfully.
Okay - whew! I relate to your writing on so many levels! Clifton strengths I thin Strategy is either one or two for me. No melancholia in Rom-Com. Love romance writing, but have noticed (as a strategy) using another creative outlet allows me room in writing. Like, singing and drawing, which I also do. My strategy here? I would like you to read one of my romance novels - first publishing and little acclaim, but never giving up. (another strategy) Lori Wostl
I like the idea of using another creative outlet. I tend to use cooking as my non-writing outlet, but I did buy a book on drawing to read during this sabbatical time. And thanks for the offer! I have a blanket policy not to accept books for review for a number of reasons, but I wish you all the luck with your book!
I am a textile artist and throughout the worst days of the pandemic I had lots of alone time to attend to that--but I found that the more time I spent being focussed on completion and on "perfection" the least creative I was. It was a really good lesson to learn...sometimes you truly do have to let "produce versus process" goals go...to allow yourself to just be immersed in your process is so rejuvenating and healing. Also, allowing yourself to take a sabbatical is also wise. Enjoy that time.
Thanks, Vicky! Yes, feeling immersed in the process just for the joy of being creative sounds wonderful. I do need that kind of rejuvenation. I'm hoping I can find that place again.
I don't get get caught by the train on my side of the county where I live, but where I grew up it was a thing. I even remember my mom trying different routes to beat the train if we could see the gate coming down.
I traveled home (to Australia) nearly a month ago to care for my father. He's eighty and just had a triple bypass. Aside from running him to multiple appointments every week, I'm actually on a break from life. My husband and daughter are in another hemisphere! It's been a really interesting perspective. Like you, I'm very much a checklist and challenge person, but all the way over here, living by my dad's schedule has been restful in a way I could not have anticipated.
As a result, I've stopped keeping up with my reading journal. I'm picking books at random from his shelves or the library and just reading. Every now and then I think I should catch up and enter these... maybe ten books? Then I wonder why I'm so obsessed with needing to record them all.
So your newsletter is timely! I'm thinking of quitting my challenges and even the act of recording what I read so that I can continue to just enjoy picking a book I actually feel like reading!
I'm so glad to hear your dad is okay! I'm sorry for the situation, but I'm glad that it's giving you some time to rest from other things. And I hear you on being obsessed with recording everything. I think I'm going to put my reading challenges aside for now, but if I stop recording altogether, I'll never remember what I've read, lol. My memory is like swiss cheese (possibly because I'm reading too fast and not fully sinking into the book.) But I need to stop worrying about the number or the challenge and just read, keeping a list just for memory's sake.
I love 500 Days of Summer -- and think it is more a romantic statement about love & life than a romcom. And it's fairly realistic about you-love-them-they-don't-love-you. Plus, we get The Pixies -- karaoke!
Yep, that's why I gave it two different ratings. I think you have to go in knowing it isn't a rom-com. I think they do a disservice to movies when they label it something it's not because it sets up certain genre expectations. As a movie about a guy on a journey who falls hard for someone that's just not into him in the same way, it's a good movie and has some memorable, fun scenes. I do wish they would've fleshed out Summer's character more, though. (But I'm a character junkie.)
I feel like you're giving me a sneak peek into what I need to do. I'm already learning to use that delete button, and working on not shoulding all over myself. As someone who is strengths conversant, you know how hard this can be for someone who has top 5 Empathy, Achiever, & Responsibility to know deep in their gut they are at the point of no joy, but to also have commitments that must be met. Right now, I am writing to get to the end and I know it. Thank you for sharing your journey through this.
*hugs* I've been there so I'm sending love. I had writing obligations to fulfill before this sabbatical so I know what it's like to be on fumes trying to cross the finish line. I hope you can get there and then take some time to recuperate and refill the well. It's been a weird transition and I'm still feeling my way through it. After being under deadline continuously for over a decade (I feel like you've had a similar timeline if I'm remembering right), it's strange to not have something due.
Yes, it's been a little over a decade, but I have definitely slowed down from the early days. If it helps, from this perspective you seem to be navigating wonderfully.
thank you <3
Okay - whew! I relate to your writing on so many levels! Clifton strengths I thin Strategy is either one or two for me. No melancholia in Rom-Com. Love romance writing, but have noticed (as a strategy) using another creative outlet allows me room in writing. Like, singing and drawing, which I also do. My strategy here? I would like you to read one of my romance novels - first publishing and little acclaim, but never giving up. (another strategy) Lori Wostl
Writing as Lora D. Roland
303-427-0808
LoraDRoland.com
Lora@LoraDRoland.com
I like the idea of using another creative outlet. I tend to use cooking as my non-writing outlet, but I did buy a book on drawing to read during this sabbatical time. And thanks for the offer! I have a blanket policy not to accept books for review for a number of reasons, but I wish you all the luck with your book!
I am a textile artist and throughout the worst days of the pandemic I had lots of alone time to attend to that--but I found that the more time I spent being focussed on completion and on "perfection" the least creative I was. It was a really good lesson to learn...sometimes you truly do have to let "produce versus process" goals go...to allow yourself to just be immersed in your process is so rejuvenating and healing. Also, allowing yourself to take a sabbatical is also wise. Enjoy that time.
Thanks, Vicky! Yes, feeling immersed in the process just for the joy of being creative sounds wonderful. I do need that kind of rejuvenation. I'm hoping I can find that place again.
I like reading. I don't like reading challenges.
I like lists. I love checking things of my list.
I don't get get caught by the train on my side of the county where I live, but where I grew up it was a thing. I even remember my mom trying different routes to beat the train if we could see the gate coming down.
Interesting that you like lists and checking off boxes but not reading challenges!
I control my list, a reading challenge is created by someone else. lol I like control.
I'd never heard of "caught the train" term but I've been there!
And I love ur comment on 500 days of Summer "Would watch again for analysis" I could not have put it better myself and IT is "sweet~ish"!
Keep on keeping on~It may take a while for us to get to our inbox but fo~sho we'll get to it sooner or later!
thanks! <3
I traveled home (to Australia) nearly a month ago to care for my father. He's eighty and just had a triple bypass. Aside from running him to multiple appointments every week, I'm actually on a break from life. My husband and daughter are in another hemisphere! It's been a really interesting perspective. Like you, I'm very much a checklist and challenge person, but all the way over here, living by my dad's schedule has been restful in a way I could not have anticipated.
As a result, I've stopped keeping up with my reading journal. I'm picking books at random from his shelves or the library and just reading. Every now and then I think I should catch up and enter these... maybe ten books? Then I wonder why I'm so obsessed with needing to record them all.
So your newsletter is timely! I'm thinking of quitting my challenges and even the act of recording what I read so that I can continue to just enjoy picking a book I actually feel like reading!
(Dad is doing super well, btw 😊)
I'm so glad to hear your dad is okay! I'm sorry for the situation, but I'm glad that it's giving you some time to rest from other things. And I hear you on being obsessed with recording everything. I think I'm going to put my reading challenges aside for now, but if I stop recording altogether, I'll never remember what I've read, lol. My memory is like swiss cheese (possibly because I'm reading too fast and not fully sinking into the book.) But I need to stop worrying about the number or the challenge and just read, keeping a list just for memory's sake.
I hear you on the memory! I forget more books a year than most other people I read, I think. 🤣
I've been trying to slow down and read a little less compulsively.
I hope you find a good balance. 😊
I love 500 Days of Summer -- and think it is more a romantic statement about love & life than a romcom. And it's fairly realistic about you-love-them-they-don't-love-you. Plus, we get The Pixies -- karaoke!
Yep, that's why I gave it two different ratings. I think you have to go in knowing it isn't a rom-com. I think they do a disservice to movies when they label it something it's not because it sets up certain genre expectations. As a movie about a guy on a journey who falls hard for someone that's just not into him in the same way, it's a good movie and has some memorable, fun scenes. I do wish they would've fleshed out Summer's character more, though. (But I'm a character junkie.)
She is a bit "cardboard" in service of his journey, for sure. Rom-com written by a man. ;)