THOUGHTS, RAMBLINGS, WHATEVS
This week sort of meandered, but I was still able to get a crap load of stuff done. #paradoxes Which makes me feel relieved. I think I said this before, but sometimes it’s difficult knowing what my actual abilities are (putting in creative work for at least 12 hours a day) and then not being able to maximize them due to my other (super important) responsibilities (being the best momma I can be). I feel as though I am always falling short in some way, but I guess that is the real definition of sacrifice: literally giving one thing up in the interest of something else.
In truth, I still hold the same hours I did when I was childless; I just use those hours differently now. While people don’t see me as “having a job”, I do have one: being a full-time mom. And it’s a doozy, trust me. So while I don’t get paid, my energy and time are seriously tapped, and I have to hustle for my writing / creative time and steal it just like anyone else does on the job.
It’s difficult to be a high-achiever and then to look at your projects and not being able to quantify your successes. But child-rearing can’t really be quantified (though the love grows every day, not gonna lie)! So I look for her happiness, her growth, her joy, rather than on how many pages I’ve written. (Ok, real talk, I DO care about word count, but I try not to get crazy over it, lol.) I forget who said this, but “whatever you focus on will expand”. I’ve been focusing a lot on my little boo. And she’s definitely been expanding! So I feel proud of my work. Luckily, though, she will be entering daycare soon, freeing me up to really get down to business. In the meantime, I’ve been chipping away at all my responsibilities, and it seems as though, I’ve knocked most things off my plate! ::APPLAUSE:: Yes, including the next book in my series. 😉
The first quarter is wrapping up nicely with some crowning successes, and I’ll be posting about those on Thursday. In any case, here’s last week’s haul:
LAST WEEK’S HAUL
What I wrote: more of The Iron Maiden. No hurrahs here, lol!
What I edited: Nope, still haven’t fixed my mailing list yet! But it seems to be working just fine. Still need to do this, though. I mean, c’mon son, lol!
What I read / watched / listened to: I’ve been leaning really heavily on inspiration podcasts for the past couple of weeks. I’m not sure why… I think I sense a lot of the major changes coming up (and they’re pretty major), and I’m just trying to stay spiritually and creatively centered.
What I researched / developed: I’ve done a lot of research this week, but not for my novels! I’m making a huge move soon so that I can attend my awesome MFA program in Tucson, and so I’ve been hunting down apartments, daycares, etc. My creative research definitely fell by the wayside this week. Also, I developed and submitted an application for a new creative opportunity (a scholarship, really), that I’ll hear the results for by mid-June.
What I learned: FINISHED the I Can Earn More Challenge by Patrice Washington. I definitely came away from this course with some key knowledge and insight, so I’m glad I did it. Now that the course is out of the way, though, I made this the final class I’m taking for the quarter.
THIS WEEK’S HUSTLE
What I’m writing: The Iron Maiden, as usual. 🙂
What I’m editing: No manuscripts being edited. I’ll have to update this part later on in the week, because I’m sure there’s something I’m missing. 🙂
What I’m reading / watching / listening to: Working on “The Descendent” by Ally Capraro. Mockingjay’s been put on the docket for Q2.
What I’m researching / developing: Back to developing The Asylum Trilogy.
What I’m learning: I’m taking this week off with regard to courses. But I AM working on actually using what I learned from Bryan Cohen’s Selling for Author’s course to create a marketing package for The Iron Maiden. LOVING the results so far. I’ll share what I’ve come up with next Monday, when I make an official newsletter announcement about The Iron Maiden pre-order.
Writing on, rocking on, and forever journeying towards creative badassery,
<3 Colby