End of November 2015 Review

Dec1

I did not hit all of my final goals for last month, but seeing as it was the first month in a very long time in which I attempted some form of focus, I’d say I did decently well.

5/10 blog posts
1/5 poems
5/2 submissions

I did do more writing for the blog and on poetry than the above suggests since the count only reflects things that were completed. I’ll take it. It’s been a rough month. This month I’ve battled depression and ended the month with grief. But that’s for another post. When I can collect my thoughts.

I hope to do some more writing through December, but I think most of my focus will be on Christmas cards and catching up on a few letters to send. December is always a busy month for me for many reasons, so while I’ll not set all my work to the side, I don’t anticipate having much time for it.

I need to learn the magical balance for day job, house chores, blogging/poetry, Christmas festivities, and language lessons. Or, you know, enough balance that all of those things properly get attention at least!

November 2015 Mid-Point Check-In

Nov15

This post is not nearly as impressive as I had hoped it would be.

I did alright the first week of November. I took time 3/7 days to write in some way. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but considering I’ve been lucky to clock 3 days out of a full month lately… it’s a big improvement.

Last week just wasn’t a good week. I put in precisely 45 minutes worth of work on a single day for the whole week. And that day was yesterday.

I’ve been battling not feeling well (’tis the season for me to often be on the edge of a flare) and facing a combination of exhaustion and lack of motivation, tinged with a bit of depression. When I come home from work I don’t even want to put in the effort to watch a television show, let alone hold a pen.

I have excuses that are both legitimate and lazy. The point of this month (and hopefully the next few months to come) is to find a way to move past the lazy excuses and work around the legitimate ones.

I’m rededicating myself to this venture starting today. A day that started with a series of events that left me more than just “not in the mood”. I’m tired, overwhelmed, and yes, still fighting that bit of depression that has been trying to creep in. And that, my friends, is a tried-and-true recipe for accomplishing nothing at all.

But with the help of a friend who is NaNoing properly… I’m back on the horse and feeling better about the day. This afternoon, we have spent several 15- and 30-minute sprints during which she works on her NaNoWriMo project, and I work on blogging, writing, or other things on my creative to-do list. In the downtime between those sprints I’ve darted about the house and done a few chores. It has been a surprisingly productive day when structured in this manner.

My progress is as follows:

4/10 blog posts
1/5 poems
0/2 submissions

Let’s see what I can manage by month’s end…

Using the Energy of NaNoWriMo to Achieve Writing Goals

Nov1

I first joined NaNoWriMo in 2010. I won that year. I participated again in 2011 and 2012 though I did not win again. NaNoWriMo is how I met the girls that comprise my writing group, The Rabid Rainbow Ferret Society. NaNoWriMo is also, in a way, how I discovered I am a poet more than a novelist.

November 1st is upon us and the writing madness has descended once again. Only I no longer participate in the 50,000 word dash. But just because I don’t participate “properly” doesn’t mean I don’t cheer my friends on as loud as I can. And just because I don’t participate “properly” doesn’t mean I don’t participate at all. Continue reading →

Writing Words That Matter and Being Proud of Your Writing

Oct18

You never know how, when, or to whom your words may be important.

A little over two months ago, I wrote a post I called “I Remember, I Remember Everything”. The title came from song lyrics for the band Kill Hannah, which is disbanding this December. It was something cathartic that I felt driven to write when I had unexpectedly strong emotion over the news.

It resonated with a few people. And then it slowly faded away, like everything on the internet.

Until earlier this month, when I received a reply to a Facebook message I had completely forgotten I’d sent. Two months ago, I had sent Mat Devine (lead singer of Kill Hannah) a link to the blog on the off-chance he might one day see it and read. After all, it was him I was thanking for everything. And it was Mat who replied to me, saying he had read it, that he appreciated it, and asking permission to share on Facebook with all of Kill Hannah’s fans. I blushed all over myself, and then I said yes. Continue reading →

Being Productive on a Writing Retreat

Sep27

One thing I learned over this past week is that I deeply enjoy the companionship of my friends and my adventures with them, but when I work, I work alone.

The great room of our cabin

The cabin where we spent our writer’s retreat was spacious and beautiful. We could more than easily spread out in the great room to cook, eat, write, read, chat, and more. It was a rare time (other than eating) that all five of us were immersed in the same activity, but we could still be silly and carry on conversations and I loved this. However it took me no time at all to realize I could not work in this environment. Continue reading →

Off to a Cabin in the Woods

Sep20

Well there are five of us.

And we are going off on a quiet retreat to a semi-secluded cabin… in the woods.

Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a horror film.

It has been two years since my writing group has been able to go off on a writing retreat, and at last the time has arrived for us to trek off once again. Five days to ourselves to catch up on friendship and spend time with our respective arts.

I’m hoping to write a few blog posts (both for here and the group’s blog) and work on some poetry in addition to taking a much-needed breath of calm away from work and daily responsibilities. When I return, I’ll be posting all about it, but for now there are two wonderful posts up on our writing group’s blog, The Rabid Rainbow Ferret Society, for you to check out.

Serena posts about what ‘writing retreat’ means to her, as it is a bit different than how the rest of us feel. Rebekah posts about the excitement and some of the bizarre mishaps we’ve had thus far.

If you could go on a creative retreat for five days… what would you work on? Where would you go?

Tidying Hiatus

Aug17

No. I am not quitting. I’ve gotten too far in this project! (And I love seeing the changes around my house.) But I am taking a break. I’ve been thinking about it for the last week or two and decided it was time.

I’m trading in stuffing donation bags for letter writing, reorganizing cabinets for writing poetry and reading, and digging through boxes of odds and ends for scrapbooking. I’m taking a break to get creative again, something I’ve been neglecting while I tidy.

I’m not sure exactly how long I will take off, most likely somewhere between 1-2 months, but I will be back and hopefully with a bang as I finish off the house project to end all projects! (Okay, not really, but it feels like it at this point.)

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Let’s break out the glitter and craft paper for a few weeks. I’ll be back to tidying before the holidays. And in the meantime, keep an eye out, I’ll still be posting other things!

I Remember, I Remember Everything

Aug8

(This post may get a bit long as its topic is something dearly embedded in my heart.)

Two days ago the band Kill Hannah announced their final show on December 19th in Chicago. I will not be there, but my heart will.

I wanted to comfort you, so I said, “Shhh….”
– Black Poison Blood

I discovered Kill Hannah around the time their one big radio hit “Lips Like Morphine” was on the air. A friend sent me to their Myspace page, telling me I simply had to hear this ‘new’ band that she was convinced I would love. The band was not new, but my love was instant.

I got my hands on the newly released album Until There’s Nothing Left of Us as well as the previous album For Never & Ever, then immersed myself in the music. At the time I was fresh out of high school and slowly, privately, falling apart. Music was the only real solace I had, and something about Mat’s voice shot straight to my heart. For the first time in awhile I had comfort and strength and belief.

Turn up the radio. I need it more than ever now.
– The Songs That Saved My Life

It was no time at all before I discovered they were about to be touring as an opener for Lostprophets. I knew I had to go. I had never been to a concert in my life, it would be a 7 hour drive, and my list of friends was lacking, but I had to be there. For me. For them. Continue reading →

The Quest to Tidy (Week Eleven): My Favorite Sorting Project Yet

Jul29

This week I tackled a small project to get back into the swing of things.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I *love* snail mail. I have 3 pen pals. When I’m really lucky I get the surprise note in the mail from other friends. (And yes, I absolutely reread letters I have received!)

I’m also a postcrosser, which means I send and receive post cards to and from all over the world. Postcrossing is always a surprise. I never know who is going to write, what they are going to say, or what sort of card they will choose to send. (I share some of my favorites from time to time on the blog.)

What this boils down to is I have a lot of stationery and I love collecting more when I can! It was time to tidy up the messy pile strewn about in three places through the house.

My sweet pup, Maggie, decided she was going to be extremely helpful in this task. Here she is posing with a few of my note cards. I tend to prefer letter-style stationery, so I only have a few note cards, though I found at least a couple more sets after taking this picture. Continue reading →

I wanted to comfort you, so I said, “Shhh….” – Black Poison Blood

Turn up the radio. I need it more than ever now. – The Songs That Saved My Life

I wanted to comfort you, so I said, “Shhh….”
– Black Poison Blood

Turn up the radio. I need it more than ever now.
– The Songs That Saved My Life