Oh my gosh, I hear you SO HARD on the struggle with writing. Fiction feels like my Real Work™️ too and I have successfully avoided my novel for three solid years now as a result. >.< Ugh. So much pressure.
Thank you for voting for the rainbow tree! 🌈🌲 As for whatever the plural of Min Kamp is (this is a Knausgard joke not a Hitler joke, I promise) I wrote a little list of tips for myself yesterday of things to try when I’m in resistance (aka sitting frozen at my desk) and another WF’er turned it into a hilarious image using AI. Was any actual work done? Unsure! But joy was had by all. 💞⚔️⛄️Thanks for reading and sharing in the feelings!
“Go ahead and eat dirt!” lol! Such great metaphorical advice…and also taking “make it weirder” from the comments above and putting it in my pocket!
I relate so much on this (societal?) pressure to work on/finish/disseminate The Big Thing. Thank you for sharing all your thoughts!! I really enjoyed traveling with you this morning ❤️
“Not even a mouse of pleasure can get through sometimes.” 😂
Yes I feel all of this. I don't know where the turning point was where art was a thing I did for fun and then it became work, or why, but I think it probably had something to do with money. One time Nelly Reifler (did you know her?) told me "make this weirder" and that was good advice. I give you permission not to work on A Big Project if you don't feel like it. Make art every day... but only the art you want to make and none of the art you don't. Then take a meandering walk and call me in the morning.
haha Dr Jef is in! I once had a chiropractor who was insanely good (and also played praise music which I used to joke was his secret). His name was Dr. Jeff - the Jefs know. I do think money is somewhere in here, even if it's just a mean shadow whisperer: "You don't count if you don't pay the heating bill..." Sending you all the (chicken and tree) sketches! In my heart, in the ether from these walks...see you in the art shop! xoxo
All the feels come through in this one...and there's plenty of space for it all (not that I can speak for your readership, but I'd wager that we're all the better for you sharing it). I can identify with much of this, and I love the Joy Williams wisdom. I so often feel like something is writing me...and that it's doing so as some impulse to serve. In fact reading what you wrote here today reminded me of the last time you coached me and I got clear on that being what was meant to happen. 🕊️ Yes and double and triple yes to the need for embodied art. The need for embodied LIFE. And yes again to counter-balancing the serious business of art as service with the seemingly silly and mundane. Yin and yang, yin and yang. Hope your sore throat passes quickly and with much comfort and care. <3
ahhhh you have put this all so well! thank you so much for chiming in here and also affirming that it's safe to share the meandering thoughts. **full body safety sigh** yes that sweet bird friend! the bird is seeing and witnessing. thank you so much for being here and getting it. yin and yang 4evs and let's coach again when it makes sense for both parties! and the ancestors :) *tea emoji* *candle emoji*
Oh man I loved this post so much!! Thank you for going there. You captured the struggle so well and so accurately. And oh man, pls don't get me started on the ways we're encouraged to leave the body out of our art. "Only the brains!!" says our culture. It makes me crazy and reminds me of a moment from Terry Gross's conversation w Salman Rushdie where she asked him if he had to consider his body for the first time in the wake of having been attacked so brutally. And Salman, age 78 or something, was like: YEAH! I did have to consider my body for the first time! 🤯🤯 (That said, I remember loving Midnight's Children and am curious to reread it now as a middle aged mostly-embodied woman.) xoxx
Thank you, Amerzzzz it means so much that this resonated. "Only the brains" is truly going to kill us, if we don't turn it around (sorry, dark insistence). I give this comment a score of 100 for working Salman Rushdie in. Considering the vulnerability of your body at 78 = an untended life! Terry Gross, get that man some cooking lessons stat. I also found reading him a wildly evocative ride, if not grounding than at least enriching? Middle Aged and Mostly Embodied for CEO/President/Pope. xoxo
love the idea of joy being the resistance 🫡💥💪
Oh my gosh, I hear you SO HARD on the struggle with writing. Fiction feels like my Real Work™️ too and I have successfully avoided my novel for three solid years now as a result. >.< Ugh. So much pressure.
Also, rainbow tree FTW. 🙌🏼 🌈
Thank you for voting for the rainbow tree! 🌈🌲 As for whatever the plural of Min Kamp is (this is a Knausgard joke not a Hitler joke, I promise) I wrote a little list of tips for myself yesterday of things to try when I’m in resistance (aka sitting frozen at my desk) and another WF’er turned it into a hilarious image using AI. Was any actual work done? Unsure! But joy was had by all. 💞⚔️⛄️Thanks for reading and sharing in the feelings!
“Go ahead and eat dirt!” lol! Such great metaphorical advice…and also taking “make it weirder” from the comments above and putting it in my pocket!
I relate so much on this (societal?) pressure to work on/finish/disseminate The Big Thing. Thank you for sharing all your thoughts!! I really enjoyed traveling with you this morning ❤️
“Not even a mouse of pleasure can get through sometimes.” 😂
Yes! “Make it weirder” 💓 Great advice. I don’t know how this got delayed but I’m glad to be seeing it here. Thank you for traveling with me! 💞 🐭
Yes I feel all of this. I don't know where the turning point was where art was a thing I did for fun and then it became work, or why, but I think it probably had something to do with money. One time Nelly Reifler (did you know her?) told me "make this weirder" and that was good advice. I give you permission not to work on A Big Project if you don't feel like it. Make art every day... but only the art you want to make and none of the art you don't. Then take a meandering walk and call me in the morning.
haha Dr Jef is in! I once had a chiropractor who was insanely good (and also played praise music which I used to joke was his secret). His name was Dr. Jeff - the Jefs know. I do think money is somewhere in here, even if it's just a mean shadow whisperer: "You don't count if you don't pay the heating bill..." Sending you all the (chicken and tree) sketches! In my heart, in the ether from these walks...see you in the art shop! xoxo
All the feels come through in this one...and there's plenty of space for it all (not that I can speak for your readership, but I'd wager that we're all the better for you sharing it). I can identify with much of this, and I love the Joy Williams wisdom. I so often feel like something is writing me...and that it's doing so as some impulse to serve. In fact reading what you wrote here today reminded me of the last time you coached me and I got clear on that being what was meant to happen. 🕊️ Yes and double and triple yes to the need for embodied art. The need for embodied LIFE. And yes again to counter-balancing the serious business of art as service with the seemingly silly and mundane. Yin and yang, yin and yang. Hope your sore throat passes quickly and with much comfort and care. <3
ahhhh you have put this all so well! thank you so much for chiming in here and also affirming that it's safe to share the meandering thoughts. **full body safety sigh** yes that sweet bird friend! the bird is seeing and witnessing. thank you so much for being here and getting it. yin and yang 4evs and let's coach again when it makes sense for both parties! and the ancestors :) *tea emoji* *candle emoji*
The ancestors! They are so happy to be acknowledged, thank you. Yes, would like to coach again soon <3
Just seeing this for some reason! Let’s make it happen. Xx
Oh man I loved this post so much!! Thank you for going there. You captured the struggle so well and so accurately. And oh man, pls don't get me started on the ways we're encouraged to leave the body out of our art. "Only the brains!!" says our culture. It makes me crazy and reminds me of a moment from Terry Gross's conversation w Salman Rushdie where she asked him if he had to consider his body for the first time in the wake of having been attacked so brutally. And Salman, age 78 or something, was like: YEAH! I did have to consider my body for the first time! 🤯🤯 (That said, I remember loving Midnight's Children and am curious to reread it now as a middle aged mostly-embodied woman.) xoxx
Thank you, Amerzzzz it means so much that this resonated. "Only the brains" is truly going to kill us, if we don't turn it around (sorry, dark insistence). I give this comment a score of 100 for working Salman Rushdie in. Considering the vulnerability of your body at 78 = an untended life! Terry Gross, get that man some cooking lessons stat. I also found reading him a wildly evocative ride, if not grounding than at least enriching? Middle Aged and Mostly Embodied for CEO/President/Pope. xoxo
Loved the ornaments from yesteryear and the illustrated menu.