How is everyone doing out there? You have been awfully quiet lately. One of my all-time favorite things, in life, is “adventuring.” Certainly, I like vacations and far away trips, but I savor every day adventures, too. I like going to towns around me and trying out restaurants and going into quaint, unique stores, that I have never been to before. I like lingering in coffee shops and soaking in the ambiance, unique to that particular location. I like mixing my clothes and accessories into new ensembles and I get giddy when those ensembles just seem to fit together, in a whole new fresh way. I enjoy opening a new book, with eager anticipation, or starting a new, engaging TV series or a new, fun game on my phone. I like buying new perfumes or lipsticks with the idea that I will finally find my “holy grail” product and I will never, ever stray from it, for the rest of my life, or until it is discontinued and I have to treasure hunt for it on ebay. I like to adventure on hiking trails that are new to me, with the promise of the possibility of happening upon a plant or an animal that I have never witnessed in the wild, before.
I’ve been a bit mopey and lazy lately. I’ve convinced myself that my adventures have been curtailed and ruined. I’ve been telling myself how boring and mundane and routine and limited life has become with this coronavirus situation, at hand. I’ve had myself a pretty little pity party, in my own little wah-wah, dull blue corner, which I have painted myself into, these days.
I pride myself in my creativity and my thinking outside of the box, so it is time for me, to oil that ingenuity gear in my brain, and get excited again. Dust it off, girl!! It is time for some self reflection on areas of my life, that I am just going through the motions. Is it time to try some new grocery stores and give some interesting, unusual new recipes, a go? Is it time to try to read a genre of book that I typically don’t gravitate to? Does it matter that even though I don’t socialize much at all anymore, to still take the time to get a cool outfit together and like what I see in the mirror? Can I get excited about losing a few extra pounds, by setting a weight loss goal and get motivated by trying to achieve it? My life and my fulfillment is my responsibility. If I’m bored, I need to find constructive ways to fix that for myself, instead of destructive, self defeating behaviors and thought patterns, that just swallow me up in my own wallowing self pity. Being bored is an insult to oneself. (Jules Renard)
Personally, I have not been feeling highly social lately.
I just completed Week 3 of a 5-week publishing intensive course through the Los Angeles Review of Books. We are learning about the world of publishing – every aspect, from books to magazines to digital publishing, audiobooks and academia, and developing skills like editing, art direction, book formatting, WordPress, publicity and marketing. It’s been exciting, but also exhausting.
Due to the current state of the world, the entire thing has been conducted via Zoom. That means I’m “on” for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week. Sometimes there are non-interactive lectures and my webcam is off and I can stretch or march around my office while listening, and I have come to crave those sessions. Between the speakers, staff, and fellows there are usually about 60 of us, so it’s like staring at the Brady Bunch on steroids.
Of course I’m also one of three folks in my age group – the rest of the fellows are ridiculously over-educated babies in their late 20s. Most have masters degrees and are doctoral candidates, studying crazy things like the intersection of magic and lesbianism within the medieval period (I’m not exaggerating – she shared part of her doctoral thesis with the group. It’s a real thing.) I am the only working freelance writer in the group, and strangely that has earned me a lot of respect. Apparently many of the young ones yearn to do what I’m doing. I felt bad telling them that they’ll have to get a day job or get a partner with a steady income, because freelancing is awesome, but it doesn’t pay the bills!
On top of the workshop, I’m also still trying to keep up with writing assignments from my clients. Fortunately I warned them all that my mental bandwidth is going to be low for these five weeks, but I still feel obligated to work on their projects. And then there’s life – laundry, dinner, cleaning, grocery shopping. I’m not complaining; I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. I’m just exhausted.
Wow, impressive! I love the quote about zooming with a lot of people “Brady Bunch on steroids” – hilarious!!! You do not sound bored, nor are you ever boring. Give yourself some well deserved rest, my friend. Thanks for checking in!