Thoughtful Thursday - The Reset Button

Taking a trip away from daily life is like hitting a reset button for me. All the things that were making me angry, worried, etc before the trip still exist, but they've lost their hold on me. They are less relevant to my existence and it's easier for me to work around them.

I've realized lately that I don't care what most people think. I've always been that way, but as I get older, I care even less. People are going to do and say things based on their own weaknesses or limited life experience regardless of what I do. So I might as well be doing the things that give me joy.

Stories are what give me joy. And they come in so many forms, so whether I'm watching a movie, reading a book, listening to a song, writing poetry, or talking to loved ones, I can do what I enjoy most. Sharing stories with others is where the motivation to complete writing projects comes from for me. I don't want to keep them all bottled up inside me.

Yes, I hope to one day make enough money doing these things to pay my bills. No, I don't believe there is anything wrong with that. Getting a return on your investment is smart business, not "selling out". Each novel is one project and as a former project manager, I know the workers always got paid for the work they did. People often focus on the artful side of writing without considering the business of it. A lot of work goes into a book and unless you want to put junk in the world or are incredibly skilled at every type of work needed to make a good book, there are people that need to be paid. Editors, cover designers, marketing, publicists, etc all get you farther than you can get alone. You need to know which things you can do and which you need help with.

Resetting is letting me look at my life from a different perspective just like sticking a manuscript into a drawer for a couple of weeks after completing a draft does to help one know how to revise it. Stepping away pulls me out of the weeds and lets me see the forest once again. It lets me see what matters and gets me back on course.

Salut,
R~

Comments

The Gauntlet That Was October

I had a lot of things happen in October. I watched Frankenstein in the cemetery with friends. I had tea with a friend. I started a new sport: curling. This is really fun and I'm enjoying the level of activity it provides and all the strategic elements. I'll do a separate post on it soon. Unfortunately, soon after my first game, I came down with Covid and so did the friend who I had tea with, so I think we both caught it at the place we went to. That wasn't fun. I already posted about that. I was fortunate to be free of it in time to attend Can-Con where I took in lots of panels, saw some of the wonderful writer community, bought many new books, and volunteered to help out in the rooms. The following weekend, I went to the livestream for Danielle Allard's new album release, followed by the in person release. As part of this, she has a 6 video series that releases every Sunday on her YouTube at 1:15 PM EDT. Video number 2, Falling Into Place, is one that I feel fortunate

Under Siege

My city is under attack. I wish I was being facetious. The so-called "freedom" convoy is here and so far this is what has transpired: 1. They parked on the war memorial. These people who call themselves patriots. This is where the Unknown Soldier rests. This is where Corporal Nathan Cirullo lost his life in October of 2014. The cars were towed, but who knows what actual repercussions they will face. 2. Later, when asked to move away from memorial, one stood and jumped on the tomb itself while others cheered. 3. Despite having port-a-potties provided for by the mayor, they've been defecating on Parliament Hill, in snowbanks, and on streets nearby. 4. Flags being flown include the Confederate flag of the United States, Trump flags, the Quebec equivalent to the Confederate flag, upside down Canada flags, regular Canada flags, Fuck Trudeau flags, libertarian flags, and ones adorned with swastikas. Yeah, this is totally about freedom rather than racism, white su

2023 - Week 39

Starting curling season out right with this lovely gift from a friend and Bengal Spice tea. Normally, I work in-office on Mondays, but after such a busy week, I couldn't deal with an environment filled with distraction and socializing. Most of my team wouldn't be in anyway, so there wasn't a lot of point to making the transit trip. I spent the day working, catching up around Tiny Condo, taking in another Scrivener webinar, playing Minecraft, and attending my friend Danielle Allard's studio stream. The webinar was focused on using Scrivener as a tool for academic writing, but he demonstrated some features that are making it easier for me to continue reorganizing my novel into scenes. Later, I set up my Google calendar with the dates for round 1 of Rainbow Rockers (RR) curling. On Tuesday, I pulled the Death card for a second day in a row. I try to do a daily tarot though sometimes I forget. I know it's random and woo, but it's interesting that lately I've pul

Rae Roy

Search This Blog