Monster Creation

I’m here for you.

In Frankenstein, we learn that a creation left unattended can turn into a monster. He wanders around looking for a sense of belonging. Looking for purpose, love, community. All these things could have been provided by Frankenstein but he was too ashamed of his work to invest in it. To ashamed to look at and listen to where his creation was lacking. It’s interesting how much I can relate. The vulnerability that comes with sharing my writing, especially my most recent novel. makes me want to run and hide. On the plus side, I want to finish it more than I want to hide. I’ve reached a point of desperation with this thing and will accept all the help my inner creative will allow. I wanna stick this thing out. I want my art to have a place in this world. I’ll do what it takes to create that.

Change Comes

There is nothing permanent except change.

Heraclitus

I don’t like change especially when things are going good (enough). At the same time, I believe there’s a world out there that provides more than enough. I say that as someone who is not deeply rewarded by the dollar but rewarded by growth and accomplishment. By gaining perspective and understanding. I don’t want to be out here chasing empty endeavors. I want to be out here living with a liberated soul, with freedom to create, and the space to mind my mind.

Sounds like the perfect place for me is the library. Oh how I miss my library days.

Climate Change and Our Temperament

Sunday Reflections

Imagine a world where our climate is controlled by our temperament. Our happiness would warm the world up and our mourning would make the temperatures more frigid. What temp would anger bring?

It’s interesting. It reminds me of Persephone and her mother, Demeter. It’s an interesting myth that explains the seasons. When Persephone is with Hades, Demeter grows sad and stops tending to the plants. Her sadness brings fall and winter and when Persephone returns, Demeter, who’s happy again, begins to tend to the earth, which explains spring and the warmer months. I do love this story.

How much more would we appreciate sadness knowing that that’s the only way to bring winter. To balance out our earth with seasons. I say that as a lover of all our seasons. I’m sure the desert areas have their perks too.

I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.

Oscar Wilde

Daily Habits

What daily habits are you doing for yourself?

I’ve stepped away from social media before bedtime and first thing when I wake up. I used to allow myself to use my phone to let go of my day and settle down. I don’t feel like it harmed me but I do feel like my time could be better utilized.

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.

Colin Powell

And Play

The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.

Neil Gaiman

All work and no play is no fun! I truly got to appreciate a moment of play today after work. It really lightened my mood and brought me joy. I want to say that I live for these moments but the truth is I forget to have these moments nevermind live for them. That’s why I wanted to write about my evening, to remind myself to play.

I was packed up to go home with not very much motivation to drive. Since I wasn’t eager to drive, I took my sweet time to head out the door. On the way out, I had to pass a brand new corn hole game just built and donated. You know what’s awesome, we got to break it in. We cheered each other on, I got one bag in the hole, and I even got some coaching! It was fun. I’m terrible at corn hole but it really broke me away from the grind.

What ways have you made time to have fun this week? Did you forget?

Keep Going

As long as you keep going, you’ll keep getting better. And as you get better, you gain more confidence. That alone is success.

Tamara Taylor

This is meant to be encouragement to keep going. It’s ok to be new at things. It’s ok to work on getting better by making mistakes. Let yourself get better. Let yourself gain the confidence over time. New behaviors, skills, crafts don’t happen just cuz we want them to. They happen because we invest in them. Keep going, you got this.

Rocket Ship

If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.

Sheryl Sandberg

I’m inspired by this quote today. I haven’t been asked to take any rocket ship rides lately (or ever). Tomorrow, it could happen and reading this quotes has just expanded my world from impossible I’ll never ride a rocket ship into, Yes, I’d love to ride in your rocket ship. Life is supposed to be filled with hopes and dreams. We’re supposed to have some impossibilities in our imaginations that we desire that could only slightly possibly probably not but maybe be fulfilled. We have that ability as kids and over time the world kinda destroys our ability to have hope in our dreams. This quote reinvigorates me. It reminds me that my impossible dreams are worthy and I’m worthy enough to dream of them.

Would you say yes to riding in a rocket ship? What are the dreams you have that feel impossible? I’m interested to hear from you.

Act of Kindness

A tiny ripple of hope.

These words remind me of The Butterfly Effect. To summarize, The Butterfly Effect is when something as small as a butterfly flapping it’s wings can create something as mighty as a tornado weeks later. I share that to say this, a tiny ripple is enough. Your small acts of kindness are enough no matter how tiny and inconsequential they seem.

Writers are Human

I had to make my most favorite writers human.

I have the tendency to place great writers behind glass, where I can’t touch them. When I sit down and read words that touch my soul, it makes me feel so small. Words do mean a lot to me. I often make them much bigger than what they are on first read( or first listen). So over the past few years I found myself in love with the writers who didn’t hide their humanity. In fact, they used their humanity as the basis for their works. I love Henry James and his eloquent writing. I got his journals and was slightly disappointed at his lack of elegance when it came to daily writing. One day he collapsed and simply described it as a “bad day.” There was no coquet. No romantic gesture by some well dressed woman who saw him go down. I realize that fiction isn’t supposed to be a mirror of our realities, but I couldn’t help but expect him to be as romantic as his stories. I think we all have these moments where the people we look up to aren’t what we expected. At the same time, it helps me to appreciate writers who share their humanity, the good, bad, and ugly that we stow away to fit the part. Bukowski, Rimbaud, Plath, and throw some Hunter Thompson in there, and a few other writing mentors that walked beside me, they all liberate me with their authenticity. I hope that I can liberate others the same way they did for me.