A couple of weeks ago I was fighting a losing battle with my new duvet bed cover when I randomly decided I needed to do a new post for this blog. Over the past several months, there have been failed attempts to make new updates, but I’ll probably save that for another post (insert eye-roll emoji).
As you know, the past couple of years have been a hideous doosey. I cannot begin to tell you how much frustration and loss I’ve experienced. Fortunately, I’ve also been in a position to self-reflect, gain and most of all, reconnect. Because so much has changed since 2020, I’ve had to come up with new ways to keep going…little did I know that it wasn’t as complicated as I thought it would be, it was just a matter of getting it done.
The dedication to writing never left – it was just placed on hold while I forced myself to create a better sleep schedule and to stop stuffing my face at 1am. Even though much wasn’t happening on this blog, there was so much happening behind the scenes. The manuscript got a little attention from agents which was very encouraging, and I was able to re-create some stories with a pop and a twist, such as Big Sister in America. There are definitely more stories on the way, which is also self-encouraging because there has also been a lot of rejection as well; panels, contests and queries have been pretty cold, which was hard to deal with in the beginning. But a couple of things happened that made those experiences of rejection, laziness and annoyance beneficial:
- Catching up with people I hadn’t spoken to in a while – this included my editor, who knows a lot of my work inside-out and always reminds me that I have a powerful story to tell. Sometimes, those friendly reminders go a long way.
- Prioritizing my physical health – everyone needs that one health-conscious person in their social circle, even if you don’t want to hear what they have to say most of the time. Not having to commute and walk down the street for breakfast in the morning was really taking its toll on me. I wasn’t able to see my friends and co-workers as much, and my physical health was taking a blow for it. After not seeing certain folks for almost two years, they didn’t even recognize me when we finally crossed paths! “Girl, you lost weight!” is one of the most uplifting statements that will change your life during such a wonky time.
- Giving. In addition to The Writer’s Haven podcast, there were other opportunities to meet and learn about other creatives who were fully successful or just trying to find their way. There’s a local organization that helps uplift creatives from different walks of life and I had the privilege to participate helping their work be recognized. I can only give so much details, but if you have a local literary organization in your area that provides support such as prizes and recognition to local writers, get connected with them and make a difference. Being in a position to give really helps balance out the emotional and mental well-being. Even though I am not where I would like to be in terms of getting some of my work recognized, being a part of a literary organization was an awesome and rewarding distraction.
There were days where doing absolutely nothing was the most productive thing I’ve done in years. Stressing over work projects, people (the inept ones) and my own family drama was causing unnecessary burdens that I had the ability to manage. Looking back, I’m proud that I was able to produce new content and make new connections in addition to dusting off the old ones and bring them to life.
Eventually, I was able to successfully straighten out the new bedsheets and enjoy the new duvet cover (For the first time, YouTube did not come through ☹). Finally unravelling those twists and turns only happened once I calmed down the frustration. I even had to take a couple of deep breaths. It was weird because I just did a gentle tug in one corner of the duvet and everything just fell in place quietly. Isn’t it funny when things work out that way?