This whole COVID experience challenges us all on a daily basis. It has also provided some of us with the opportunity to examine and reprioritize our lives. This creative transformation can show up in all kinds of ways.
Of course, some things have stayed the same. I still take my pups out every day for an hour or so, which winds up being closer to two hours once travel time is factored in. Our daily expedition provides a great mental reset for me and ensures that my two-year old pup will nap. Bonus!
In addition to self-publishing a memoir, and learning more and more about book promotion along the way, I’ve tackled a long-term project about writing that got back-burnered for a couple of years.
On the home front, this summer, I worked harder than ever on my backyard. For starters, I decided to rip out the sod that has never flourished in the shady section. Despite a blister on my palm after the first day of shoveling, I dug up the offending, semi-dead sod, moved in rocks to create a hopscotch-like path, transplanted three small red-twigged dogwoods I had in pots, and relocated colorful groundcover from other parts of the yard.
Even though sore muscles made standing and walking somewhat challenging for a few days, the work proved immensely satisfying on the creative front. It’s awesome to see a creative transformation evolve one piece at a time rather than having a completed vision in mind.
One of my writing coach clients writes that way. At the end of each writing coach session about his historical novel, we know what scene he’s going to tackle. But that’s where the planning ends. So, his pages are a weekly revelation to us both.
I’m not sure I could write that way, but his process of creatively transforming his amassed research into a compelling novel is working for him at a time when that kind of personal success is more important than ever. That’s all that counts.
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