…The Weird Get Going
How’s your writing project going? Do you have one?
It’s been a weird time for me lately, what with my mom being diagnosed with dementia (that explains a few things!), my income gradually crawling up from its summer dip in the cold lake of WTF, and a stream of daily small complications that make life feel…complicated.
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As we dive into fall up here in the northern hemisphere, I’ve found a few things to help combat the weirdness:
- Return to time blocking (that is, assigning projects to 60- to 90-minute chunks of time). Do one thing at a time.
- Stop catastrophizing.
- Turn off my phone for long intervals.
- Gear up on meditating. Frequent short stints are good too.
Focus on consistency with exercise, drop grandiose goals. - Stop numbing out with food, booze, social media, or TV.
- Remember that when things go well, This too shall pass.
- And when I’m in the weeds, This too shall pass.
I chanced across a 3-minute video that, although disturbingly close to the author’s face, both cheered me up and reminded me to eat cheese.
An invocation for beginnings
What’s happening with you? Please send me your situation reports (sitreps) on autumn, recent mistakes, cheese, your writing life, or anything that’s top of mind.
Cheers,
Pat
This grant experiment I’m engaging in over on our podcast (giftedunderachievers.substack.com) is kicking my ass. I’m making mistakes all over the place. But there’s fruit on those grant trees and I’m going to get some. There’s nowhere to go but UP!!!
Kath Montstream has built a successful long-term career in the notoriously tough world of VISUAL ARTS. She’s a hoot to talk with & an inspiration, full of insights that will help creative people in any field.
Click here to listen to our interview with Kath Montstream
Book Bag
The Darkest Evening,
by Ann Cleeves
Pan MacMillan, 2020
I like mysteries that immerse me in realities outside of my own experience. There’s no series character I can think of who does it for me like Vera Stanhope does.
This book shows a new (to me) side of Vera, bringing in her not-so-distant relatives, who are inextricably tied into the murder her team is investigating. Eleven thumbs up.