Time to give Thanks
Friends! What a season, huh?
I am preparing to send out a newsletter today, and it includes so many swell tidings! A new audiobook release AND an exclusive very cool giveaway just for Red Tash fans. Just my way of thanking you for reading my cozy fantasy mystery series, even though I have been a very slow writer these past few years.
To that end, I was actually looking through my backlist under my three biggest pen names, and it seems I have had a habit in the past of working in fits and spurts. During a “fit,” I would write, edit, and polish multiple works. I really have gotten on a roll in the past, sometimes for months at a time.
It has been my good fortune to know many writers who are able to work steadily at their careers, but until lately, I have not had the luxury of time for that. In October, however, I believe I found the tipping point. I finally have more time to write, an office of my own, a diagnosis of ADHD and the Rx to match, and a female role model I can relate to professionally, even though she’s younger than me and lives a completely different lifestyle.
Who?
Oh, you know who.
Whenever I feel myself at the crossroads of “Should I goof off?” or “Should I try to work for at least 15 minutes?” I ask myself, “What would Taylor Swift do?”
Go on and laugh if you must, but hear me out. She’s achieved all she has by relentlessly making her art her way, diving deeply into her life experience, and fearlessly sharing with the world. Her talent would not have taken her as far as she has risen were it not for her habit of DOING the thing. And, hey, sometimes she cries in between. Finally, a successful woman who is not afraid to show the world that her sensitivity is NOT a weakness, but an actual requirement of being a human being!
Perfectionism has its place, don’t get me wrong—but it has long discouraged me that women have attempted to hide their inherent womanly tendencies in the pursuit of artistic success. It is so backward! Thank you, Taylor, for showing me the way!
And it’s not just Taylor. I made myself an old fashioned vision board to remind me of where I’m headed, and why. I haven’t had to look at it much, because so far I’ve not gotten myself that far off track, but I will share it here in case you are interested in what my dream looks like in collage form. (I used to teach a journaling & collage class, and BOY do I hope my former students have checked out Pinterest’s new collage function.)
Well, that’s all for now. Make sure you’re on the email list! And happy November. I am grateful for you.
