I especially appreciate your words here: "I need to write to write, not to understand or to be understood, not to help or heal, not to figure something out... but to have a little fun. To write because I enjoy it, as entertainment, not only for education or understanding."
It sounds like space within you is opening up for levity. Perhaps this is also a signpost of healing for you?
Just food for thought: It took 5 years for JK Rowling to write the first book of her Harry Potter series, and I think a dozen or so publishers sent her rejection letters before she found a company that would support her work. So, I think you've got time. Tolkien took over 15 years to write TLOR. In an age when we expect everything to happen instantaneously (and if not, something's wrong or insufficient), I think it's important to remember there is value in the perseverance one must exercise in order to complete something worthwhile.
We've heard "laugher is the best medicine." There's almost certainly some truth to that.
I haven't written much about it, but you're absolutely right. Levity left me for a while. It's nice to feel it finally, slowly returning. That is certainly a signpost of healing... perhaps one of the later and more valuable ones.
It is quite odd to consider oneself light-hearted and chill... and actually be grumpy and nit-picky all the time. :)
Laughter left our house for a while during each of our last three moves in my career. We didn't specifically notice it at first, and it was thankfully temporary each time... but it was a clear sign of dealing with a massive amount of stress. I can still remember the moment laughter returned to our house after our last two moves. Those were big days. 8^)
I'm looking forward to the change in pace, congratulations on finishing your foundation! I can empathize with the pressure that comes from cognitively challenging writing. I have an academic background and every time I even consider writing academically, I freeze. Millions of other articles swim in my mind, already written, by people who don't have as much trouble as I do writing articles that have a heavier cognitive load.
Eventually, I began to realize that I'm more of a storyteller than analyst. And I do spoken word, not writing. I learn better by listening, so I speak for those who learn like I do, I guess. Anyway, this is all to say I can relate to coming to understand what kinds of load to set down, what to pick up, and what keeps your pace manageable.
Thank you for kind words! I'm also looking forward to seeing what comes next on the lighter side of my writing.
It sounds like you know exactly what I tried to describe. Writing sure is an interesting thing. :)
Through all my previously published missives I felt an odd but steady pull to stay on track writing about navigating my healing journey. I haven’t deviated far from or shown much range away from memoir-ish essays on PTSD, overwhelm, and anxiety… because From War to Writing doesn’t fully exist yet. My mission isn’t complete. (What that means has been a fun, ongoing internal debate.) But still.... a few of those essays gave me a surprising amount of pushback when I tried to write them. ;p
My short excursions into more of a storytelling mode felt completely different -- generally far less stressful and mentally taxing. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at a bit more of that.
Thank you for your insight on finding the right personal fit of writing genre and learning/presentation method. That type of self-awareness probably pays huge dividends in the long run, especially on keeping a manageable pace. I'm still working through many of those details myself.
Okay... I've read (and lived) many things about the hidden realities of hustle culture... but the term 'toxic productivity' is now a part of my lexicon, today. Thanks. :)
I especially appreciate your words here: "I need to write to write, not to understand or to be understood, not to help or heal, not to figure something out... but to have a little fun. To write because I enjoy it, as entertainment, not only for education or understanding."
It sounds like space within you is opening up for levity. Perhaps this is also a signpost of healing for you?
Just food for thought: It took 5 years for JK Rowling to write the first book of her Harry Potter series, and I think a dozen or so publishers sent her rejection letters before she found a company that would support her work. So, I think you've got time. Tolkien took over 15 years to write TLOR. In an age when we expect everything to happen instantaneously (and if not, something's wrong or insufficient), I think it's important to remember there is value in the perseverance one must exercise in order to complete something worthwhile.
We've heard "laugher is the best medicine." There's almost certainly some truth to that.
I haven't written much about it, but you're absolutely right. Levity left me for a while. It's nice to feel it finally, slowly returning. That is certainly a signpost of healing... perhaps one of the later and more valuable ones.
It is quite odd to consider oneself light-hearted and chill... and actually be grumpy and nit-picky all the time. :)
Laughter left our house for a while during each of our last three moves in my career. We didn't specifically notice it at first, and it was thankfully temporary each time... but it was a clear sign of dealing with a massive amount of stress. I can still remember the moment laughter returned to our house after our last two moves. Those were big days. 8^)
I'm looking forward to the change in pace, congratulations on finishing your foundation! I can empathize with the pressure that comes from cognitively challenging writing. I have an academic background and every time I even consider writing academically, I freeze. Millions of other articles swim in my mind, already written, by people who don't have as much trouble as I do writing articles that have a heavier cognitive load.
Eventually, I began to realize that I'm more of a storyteller than analyst. And I do spoken word, not writing. I learn better by listening, so I speak for those who learn like I do, I guess. Anyway, this is all to say I can relate to coming to understand what kinds of load to set down, what to pick up, and what keeps your pace manageable.
Thank you for kind words! I'm also looking forward to seeing what comes next on the lighter side of my writing.
It sounds like you know exactly what I tried to describe. Writing sure is an interesting thing. :)
Through all my previously published missives I felt an odd but steady pull to stay on track writing about navigating my healing journey. I haven’t deviated far from or shown much range away from memoir-ish essays on PTSD, overwhelm, and anxiety… because From War to Writing doesn’t fully exist yet. My mission isn’t complete. (What that means has been a fun, ongoing internal debate.) But still.... a few of those essays gave me a surprising amount of pushback when I tried to write them. ;p
My short excursions into more of a storytelling mode felt completely different -- generally far less stressful and mentally taxing. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at a bit more of that.
Thank you for your insight on finding the right personal fit of writing genre and learning/presentation method. That type of self-awareness probably pays huge dividends in the long run, especially on keeping a manageable pace. I'm still working through many of those details myself.
Thanks again. Welcome. 8^)
It's been a lot of practice but it's getting easier. Carving out that toxic "productivity" script has been long work, but yes, worth it for sure.
Okay... I've read (and lived) many things about the hidden realities of hustle culture... but the term 'toxic productivity' is now a part of my lexicon, today. Thanks. :)