“…It also beautifully plumbs the very real depths of being lost as a young person, as a grieving person, as a person so traumatized by certain events in your life that you don’t yet know how barely functioning you are in certain ways.” Ouchie!!
Added this book to the list, will get from the library asap thank you very much, book guru!
I really feel this post, Kara. *face melt emoji*
For what it’s worth, I think you are the coolest, and I’d buy and devour any book you put out even if it’s 14 pages long and ends in the middle of a sentence 😍
I’ve been pondering (mildly obsessing) on why I’m capable of writing enough blog posts to fill 3-4 books, but can’t summon whatever it takes for one to even just self publish one measly lil book—I’ve landed on some sense of forgiveness, that maybe, we just live in faster and faster times, and in fact, books are super overrated and none of us really have that kindof attention span anymore anyway, I might be dead soon, so why work on a book when I can get stuff out there NOW? (Or maybe it’s just about *squeak* instant validation/sense of community/being witnessed.)
Seriously though, I can’t wait to read whatever you get out there, no matter how long it takes, in whatever form ❤️
gahhhhhhh this is hitting me so much, friend, thank you for the support! I *do* think it has to do with a mix of attention span (the parenting doesn't help), confidence, and some much deeper stuff (aka community for the long haulness of building a book, a rooted sense of direction, as well as the ability to talk to the inner guards who like to point their spears at my throat). There's a whole mix of stuff that's difficult to parse so thank you for hanging with me as I/we dive through the thick kelp forest and wade into some of the scary shadows! xoxo
Ironically, I'm late to reading this post because I was so close to finishing another draft of my book and was putting all my extra time there. Process is so fascinating to me. And this post kind of makes me want to write about mine, to try and get to the bottom of it. In some ways, I feel like I do the opposite... Like I just move forward and then EVENTUALLY, like the person asking you if your glasses match your skirt, someday see all the connections. ? Point being, thank you for SEEING me and my somewhat mysterious need to make progress with a project. And last but not least, the radial arm saw book really made me smile. xoxx
Ahhhh I’m so glad I gotcha with the radial arm. And may we all find peace with our processes? The more I lean into them, the better I feel, surrendering to the fact that maybe there’s a larger reason and maybe, maybe - dysfunction included - it’s all okay? Fingers crossed! Thanks for being here xoxo
So many good nuggets to sift through here. Trust my subconscious. Have courage. Wiley, cagey heart. Mmm.
I have not been able to carve out time for writing much the last few months and the subconscious is getting very cluttered with all sorts of things bubbling up, sinking back down, popping back up for another go around - just for me to go back to bed or say “hush, I’ll get to you later” 🫣😆
My word for 2025 is surly - a close second is wiley 😹
Oooh your chosen word makes me lean in! Want to hear more. (Does it fit here to say that this year someone told me I was in my “bitch phase” lol and meant it as a compliment or at least neutrally 😇) When the kids were younger, some days it comforted me to think that hours were running through my finger like granola pouring into a bowl. Sometimes that’s just the season we’re in! I’ve been thinking of you and am proud of what you’re working on. Back burners times…the material *will* wait, I do believe, as long as you also say kind things to it sometimes ⛄️Thanks for being here! Surly women forevs 🐊
Trust your subconscious...YES. I feel like that's synonymous with trusting your essential self. It also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from the ultimate life coach, aka Rumi: "Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction" (I think Rumi would have thought any pace or means of locomotion would be acceptable where he said run). Thanks for sharing all these reflections on Chee's book and how it's been a mirror for your own internal processes. Structures and institutionalized ideas about what the "right" way to do anything are often so dysfunctional, and occasionally helpful (rare), but what they seem to be uniformly successful at is crushing dreams and limiting access. (ooph).
Le sigh!
“…It also beautifully plumbs the very real depths of being lost as a young person, as a grieving person, as a person so traumatized by certain events in your life that you don’t yet know how barely functioning you are in certain ways.” Ouchie!!
Added this book to the list, will get from the library asap thank you very much, book guru!
I really feel this post, Kara. *face melt emoji*
For what it’s worth, I think you are the coolest, and I’d buy and devour any book you put out even if it’s 14 pages long and ends in the middle of a sentence 😍
I’ve been pondering (mildly obsessing) on why I’m capable of writing enough blog posts to fill 3-4 books, but can’t summon whatever it takes for one to even just self publish one measly lil book—I’ve landed on some sense of forgiveness, that maybe, we just live in faster and faster times, and in fact, books are super overrated and none of us really have that kindof attention span anymore anyway, I might be dead soon, so why work on a book when I can get stuff out there NOW? (Or maybe it’s just about *squeak* instant validation/sense of community/being witnessed.)
Seriously though, I can’t wait to read whatever you get out there, no matter how long it takes, in whatever form ❤️
gahhhhhhh this is hitting me so much, friend, thank you for the support! I *do* think it has to do with a mix of attention span (the parenting doesn't help), confidence, and some much deeper stuff (aka community for the long haulness of building a book, a rooted sense of direction, as well as the ability to talk to the inner guards who like to point their spears at my throat). There's a whole mix of stuff that's difficult to parse so thank you for hanging with me as I/we dive through the thick kelp forest and wade into some of the scary shadows! xoxo
Ironically, I'm late to reading this post because I was so close to finishing another draft of my book and was putting all my extra time there. Process is so fascinating to me. And this post kind of makes me want to write about mine, to try and get to the bottom of it. In some ways, I feel like I do the opposite... Like I just move forward and then EVENTUALLY, like the person asking you if your glasses match your skirt, someday see all the connections. ? Point being, thank you for SEEING me and my somewhat mysterious need to make progress with a project. And last but not least, the radial arm saw book really made me smile. xoxx
Ahhhh I’m so glad I gotcha with the radial arm. And may we all find peace with our processes? The more I lean into them, the better I feel, surrendering to the fact that maybe there’s a larger reason and maybe, maybe - dysfunction included - it’s all okay? Fingers crossed! Thanks for being here xoxo
So many good nuggets to sift through here. Trust my subconscious. Have courage. Wiley, cagey heart. Mmm.
I have not been able to carve out time for writing much the last few months and the subconscious is getting very cluttered with all sorts of things bubbling up, sinking back down, popping back up for another go around - just for me to go back to bed or say “hush, I’ll get to you later” 🫣😆
My word for 2025 is surly - a close second is wiley 😹
Oooh your chosen word makes me lean in! Want to hear more. (Does it fit here to say that this year someone told me I was in my “bitch phase” lol and meant it as a compliment or at least neutrally 😇) When the kids were younger, some days it comforted me to think that hours were running through my finger like granola pouring into a bowl. Sometimes that’s just the season we’re in! I’ve been thinking of you and am proud of what you’re working on. Back burners times…the material *will* wait, I do believe, as long as you also say kind things to it sometimes ⛄️Thanks for being here! Surly women forevs 🐊
Trust your subconscious...YES. I feel like that's synonymous with trusting your essential self. It also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from the ultimate life coach, aka Rumi: "Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction" (I think Rumi would have thought any pace or means of locomotion would be acceptable where he said run). Thanks for sharing all these reflections on Chee's book and how it's been a mirror for your own internal processes. Structures and institutionalized ideas about what the "right" way to do anything are often so dysfunctional, and occasionally helpful (rare), but what they seem to be uniformly successful at is crushing dreams and limiting access. (ooph).