Writing From the Heart

I write a lot these days. To give you an update, I started working for a digital marketing agency writing copy and doing SEO a few months ago. I had discovered over the last few, mostly jobless, years that time had become this rubber band that could stretch hours into weeks, days into months, and weekends into nothings because every day was simply another day. I lost touch with the schedule that I diligently adhered to when I first quit working to get writing and in losing that structure, I lost a lot of productivity. I needed to find that again and, to be honest, I tried to do it on my own. I tried to use a planner, set hourly tables for writing, go to the coffee shop or library to force write a thousand words, but in the end, I chose the easier route: a job.

In making this change, I have sacrificed my endless time, naps in the afternoon, getting chores done while everyone else is at work and always being able to open my laptop if inspiration strikes. I've gained a steady paycheck, more writing and SEO experience, human interaction and.... my coveted schedule. I wake up to an alarm, take scheduled breaks and clock out at 5 PM. It is not all perks nor all perils, but instead that strange combination of what we need during the time that we need it. It took a while to get this job - a month of interviews, writing samples and contemplation. As the roller coaster of waiting cranked me up and dropped me again and again, I came to a wonderful conclusion: what ever happened was what I needed to happen.

This may seem like a strange sentiment to some of you, but as an avid meditator, practicer of yoga and embracer of living in the now - I relish the belief that the universe delivers to me the experiences that I most need. Sometimes those experiences are challenging and easily labeled bad luck, but I no longer subscribe to such chaotic views of life. Instead, I choose to embrace the moment that is before me and roll with the waves rather than resisting them. It is has made my life much easier and much better, though I still find that I occasionally get caught in past and future thoughts. My job has demanded that I let go of past perceptions about working full time. It has demanded that I release the belief that being a writer means writing only what I love and doing it all of the time. Wait, let me correct this, I have demanded these things of myself. This is the beauty of living in the present, recognizing that we are the creators of our life, our story, our happiness.

I find with my schedule that I am writing for myself again, more than I was before I started the job. I am envisioning the path that my writing will take rather than facing the unravelling hours like thread in my palm. I hope to come here more now that writing has again taken precedence over many of the distractions in my life.

To give a brief update. I recently received a final round of edits from my publisher for Ula and hope to see publication soon. I am still writing the sequel, editing it in my writer's group and staying current on my other blog Writing in Michigan. Thanks for reading and I hope that you too can enjoy this present moment.