Is this procrastination? Is this distraction? Is this me processing? Is this writer's block? Is this just life? Answer: All of the above.
This is why Power of Ketchup was so late. This is why it took years. This is why it was a few weeks late. This is why the next book isn't started yet.
What can I do about it? I am doing what I can do about it. I am continuing to write. Granted, it's blog posts and YouTube video notes and story and character notes and journaling. But, writing is writing, and it's what I have to do.
What do I do with procrastination? I sleep with my laptop. You what? That's right. I sleep with my laptop. And my journals. If you saw my bed, you would see that directly next to me so they are directly toughing my leg all night are my laptop and my journals. And a notebook if I have one available. And a book I am in the middle of reading not to mention the books I have on my Kindle. Does that make me write? I don't know. But, it keeps me from being able to forget that I write. I can't escape from it. It is constantly on my mind and within my reach. Even if I am not at home in bed, at minimum, my phone with the ability to take quick notes is with me. I don't have an excuse to procrastinate. That doesn't mean I don't procrastinate. Who doesn't? But I don't have an excuse. Sometimes my brain just doesn't want to work. That is procrastination. I have it. But I have no excuse for it.
What do I do about distractions? When I can, I eliminate them. Can't eliminate them all. Some are absolutely necessary. Some distractions are actually mislabeled and are in fact priorities. I have to keep that straight in my head. Is this a distraction or a person who needs something from me I can provide? Or, is this something someone is claiming to need from me when in fact it is a want or need I am not the one who is supposed to fill it? That is when I give too much of myself to others. That is a distraction. Both scenarios exist in my life. I have to be mindful to diagnose them correctly and act accordingly.
Am I simply processing? Yes. My mind works on stories in the background of my thinking in ways I don't even understand until something seems to magically come together. This is where I don't give myself the gift of grace and patience. This is when I am too hard on myself. I don't recognize it until the idea comes to pass - moves from the unconscious mind to the conscious. I wish my processing would happen faster and more efficiently. See? That's me beating myself up.
Do I have writer's block? Less often than I think. If anything gives me a lame excuse, it's writer's block. Why is it lame? Because at minimum if I am breathing in and out and can remember my name, then I am capable of journaling three gratitudes for that day. If I can't do that, then I can legitimately claim writer's block. I claim it more often than I should. Journaling is still writing because it helps my brain do that background processing.
Is it just life? YES!!! Sometimes life simply gets in the effin' way. Life happens. Sometimes life sucks. When it does, creativity, the very thing I need at those times, goes out the window. And that's okay. Because life happens. We are here to learn.
So, please be patient with me as I try to be patient with myself. The more I learn about living my life, the better my writing gets. I am writing.
If you have a comment or question, or a blog idea, shoot me an email at humorinchaos@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
Sarah
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