I’ve been really caught up in work lately. My part time job, my novels, the audiobook production, trying to do everything in a day. I just about burned myself out. This weekend I took a big step back and let myself rest. I am rethinking my approach.
I have a truly blessed life. My problems are all great problems to have. I need to slow it down and enjoy my amazing present and the process.
It’s been one crazy week. A lot of tough learning, a lot of picking back up, and a lot of being pulled in multiple directions. It’s times like these that all we can do is pick one and go for it.
The hardest part for me about being a professional creative is the period of time that follows the completion of a project. The world and work doesn’t care that I’m done. I do. I’m tired. But there’s the next phase of the process. Marketing, production, making sure everything is formatted and edited just so. And, of course, there’s a thousand other projects all screaming for my attention.
Today’s work though isn’t just for myself. Some dear friends are experiencing something similar. They’ve undergone an impressive journey and are now reaching the end. They’re entering the post-conclusion crash stage. You’re not alone, my friends.
I typed this one out after running out of space on my notebook’s page. It had to happen eventually. I’ll take it as a good problem to have, just like this post conclusion crash, because it means I did it.
It comes as a surprise
When a project labored over for so long
Is finished
Complete
Done
Like the Abrupt Conclusion
To Stepping Off a Cliff
Is there a Next?
So Many Nexts.
But my mind is still reeling
From the journey that
Felt like a Fall
My spirit still flattened,
Pulling Free From
The Impact Crater.
The World is Still Spinning
And screaming
Behind my Head
For the Next Step
–Take It Already!
There’s No Time For Triumph.
The World Doesn’t Care
About Your Fatigue
Dismissive of Your Disorientation.
The Challenge Has Been
Issued
So I Issue Back One of My Own
And Take That Next
Unsteady Step
Remembering–and Grateful–
That I am Not Alone
Two bad batches of coffee this morning. My bride and I are, naturally, devastated.
Thinking on the nature of failure as it applies to the human condition and relationships.
With the storm that came in last night, a lot of people around here, myself included, are thinking back to Hurricane Harvey. Storms break. We don’t.
My check engine light came on yesterday. Never a good sign nor a good feeling. Wrote this in the waiting room while our modern day wizards work their magic and cast their electric spells on my machine.
Happy Easter.
My bride and I went to An Evening with Margaret Atwood the other night, which began with her reading some of her poetry. After listening, I took away permission to ask more blatant questions in my own poetry. I’ve made an effort to steer away from that sort of thing overtly, but Atwood reminded me of one critical rule of creative writing: if it works then it works. Sometimes you don’t know if it does or not until you’ve done it. So, which type of calm do you pursue in your life?
An unfortunate incident with my computer set me back by over a month and a half of work. It’s not just the accumulated backlog, but the new stuff I’m supposed to be pushing forward on as well. One of the poor projects fallen victim to circumstances is The Everyday Poet Podcast. Fortunately my cohost is amazing and hasn’t lit any of his enthusiasm for the project.
All that said, I’ve been thinking a lot about preventable mistakes. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but if I’d just done things a little bit differently, prepared just a bit better, adjusted my mindset…it’s never a good feeling when you find yourself mired in the state of “this could have been prevented if only…” which I found myself in today after driving in to work.
The Everyday Poet 