Where Moss Blooms

“A poem that mentions cracks in the sidewalk”

A step is the right direction

but the cracks in the pavement

where moss blooms

take me nowhere important.

A mug full of water holds tales from the ocean

and if you drink enough of it

you can hear them.

That’s what someone’s grandmother used to say.

We are strangers here until we sit down

and learn the voices of those that haunt us.

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Thanks for reading. 😁

The Mirror

“A poem with symbols and stuff”

A glimpse

a mirror tall enough to see my shoes.

In the distance

he stares and

I don’t know much of what he says these days

but he’s there all the same.

Damp footprints lead to coffee shops

and the edge just for a kiss that

won’t last more than a moment.

The haunting scents of

sadness and insecurity linger around

asking for things I don’t have left to give.

The pink and purple flowers turn toward me

as I return to something more familiar

that only a few may understand.

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Thanks for reading. 😁

I Want to Relate to the Authors of my Favorite Novels

“Connecting With Authors”

“Literature is the original Internet – every footnote, every citation, every allusion is essentially a hyperlink to another text, to another mind.”
― Maria Popova

Any time I become interested in a writer, I search up everything I can about them. What I love about being alive today is the accessibility of it all. I especially love the classics and most of the classic works are free and accessible. There’s free eBooks on sites like Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive. There’s audio books on YouTube and tons of blurbs about classic writers and summaries of their works.

I’m the girl that’s in the history of writers aisle. I was listening to an interview with Maria Popova, and she mentioned that she got to pour over all of Mary Shelley’s journals and that in my opinion is a vacation worth investing in. And that isn’t limited to Mary Shelley.

Any time I dig into the lives of these writers I find myself becoming a little more human. Well, I am human, but I think it allows me to accept those parts of myself as a writer that I wouldn’t have known to accept without their story. Books change me but writers give me space to be human.

What writer would you like to know more about?

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Thanks for reading. 😁

Gathering My Thoughts

“A poem written after a busy day.”

Pebbles tucked in my pockets

as reminders.

On my way

to a gas pump

and a hot cup of joe

I can make on my own.

Another trip. Another stop.

There’s no bags packed

and yet I’ve driven through a million

minds across the world.

That’s how it feels

when I finally sit down

to gather my own.

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Thanks for reading. 😁

A List of Things To Do Before Your Writing Session

“How do you decompress without your phone?”

“I must drink lots of tea or I cannot work. Tea unleashes the potential which slumbers in the depth of my soul.” -Leo Tolstoy

Do you settle your mind before you write?

Since I write in the evenings, there are some days that have me going going going and sitting down to write can feel like it’s my first moment of the day to sit and actually think. On those days I try to get to my chair earlier.

When my mind is zipping around a million miles a minute, it is hard for me to really read anything. These days I tend to scroll to decompress but that can’t be my only way. Scrolling can go from supporting me and my creativity to over consumption too easily.

There’s other ways to decompress besides scrolling. Hot tea is my go-to. I love the process of making it. And I love the sensory experience. I get to pick a mug I love and appreciate the way it warms my hands and nose as I bring it to my face. And even after all that I get to appreciate the taste. It’s my go to for my evening writing. I’m currently out of my favorite teas so I haven’t been able to appreciate a cup lately, but I’ll have more soon.

Favorite blankets and robes literally make me melt into my computer chair. I have two of my favorite soft blankets designated for my writing space. This eliminates searching the house for a decent blanket to snuggle up in. And I like two small ones because I like one for my shoulders and one for my lap. It’s perfect.

Immediately get into the comfiest clothes you own. I can’t write if I’m distracted by my clothing. I prefer loose fitting clothes that are breathable under my blankets. I also can’t write when I’m cold, so I dress for the temperature.

Having a journal and a few decent pens nearby. My journal isn’t a reflection of the day or a weird place to gossip. My journal is to stay in touch with my story that I’m working through. I use it during the first draft all the way through the editing process.

These are just a few ways that help me decompress rather than doom scrolling. What helps you decompress? What am I missing?

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Build Those Dreams

“A little bit of writing when the house is quiet goes a long way.”

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”
-Vincent Van Gogh

When the house goes quiet because everyone is tucked into bed, the words start flowing. It’s hard to write while the house is still full of hustle and bustle but once everything quiets down, I feel like I can think more clearly. Not always. I do write in the evenings so sometimes I’m just exhausted from having such a full day.

If you’re looking for quiet writing time as a busy parent, you get two options. You can write in the morning while everyone is sleeping or in the evening after everyone goes to bed. There’s no real way around it. Even when you’re a stay-at-home parent, days are packed with homemaking.

I’ve written about writing everyday thousands of times, but I don’t talk much about being a parent and writing. Being a writer as a parent is a completely different ball game. One thing is that someone always seems to find you as soon as you sit down to write. It’s odd. But your writing time is precious, and your dreams are worthy of healthy boundaries. So set up your writing space and soak up the quiet time fulfilling your dreams.

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Thanks for reading. 😁

She’s Home

“A poem”

Keys jingle as she tosses them

in a bowl filled with rocks

and sea glass.

Match in hand,

she lit a candle

a symbol of gratitude.

Her doors are locked

but the lights are on.

Her kitchen lamp illuminates

the darkness

without it passing through her mind.

She’s just living.

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Ride the Wave

“We are allowed to live our whole lives.”

“It isn’t by getting out of the world that we become enlightened, but by getting into the world…by getting so tuned in that we can ride the waves of our existence and never get tossed because we become the waves.” ― Ken Kesey, Kesey’s Garage Sale

There’s a time to be home and there’s a time to be out there learning and sharing with others. I have a vague plan of what I want to do with my life. I’m not quite sure how things will work out but I do know I want to work on them as parts of my life. As opposed to making them my entire life.

Sometimes I wake up and dive right in. Other times I just think about it and take small action or have things going on in the background. I’m a whole universe raising and nurturing whole universes. Not that I’m putting my dreams on hold but that I’m taking baby steps toward those dreams.

Have you been working toward your dreams?

-Saschia ✨Jayne✨ Johnson

Thanks for reading. 😁