But you will.
For over four years, I evaded COVID. At the end of August, I got COVID. The rebound version, too.
For twenty days, I was a zombie, as this photo attests. A combination of Marco’s mocha espressos, the ice packs that my kids brought up from the freezer, and cuddles with Teddy the Great Pyrnees eased the daily migraines. I’m slowly returning to civilian life–working with clients again, writing, seeing friends.
But, I’m exhausted.
I’d like to report that previous life experience helped me keep things in perspective as my brain went offline and my body deconditioned. That I was Queen of COVID Chill. That I meditated hourly and granted myself grace. That I rested with ease and didn’t worry about letting my writing clients down or not being there for my kids during their first month of high school.
I’d be lying.
Illness undermines perspective. When you’re ill, it’s often difficult to remember that there may come a time when you’ll no longer feel so ill.
Not-writing can feel a bit like illness. When you’re not-writing, it’s sometimes hard to imagine how you’ll ever write again.
I’ve been at this writing business long enough that I thankfully no longer fall for that particularly cloudy-eyed monster’s trap. I know that it counts as true success when, after a spell of not-writing, I get back to it by writing for just 15 minutes a day.
Building on my, er, loads of experience writing and not-writing and then coming back to writing again, I’m pleased to announce a new virtual workshop coming later this fall, Creative Life Management for the Long Haul. (Watch my socials for more info soon.)
This won’t be all about which tools to use. There will be some of that, sure, but my philosophy, generally speaking, is: use whatever works for you. The interactive 90-minute workshop will be more about mindset–cultivating resilience after setback, the underappreciated role of discomfort and experimentation, and other creative life skills that undergird meaningful and productive writing lives.
Writers (and I include academics, speakers, and thought leaders in that mix) are rightly focused on craft and ideas. But focusing on craft and ideas alone without a sustainable process is like expecting yourself to be able to dance or workout for hours at high altitude when you haven’t trained. As someone recovering from COVID, simply breathing while walking is not something I’m taking for granted right about now.
Into every writing life, the unexpected will fall. Whether a pause due to illness, a season filled with scads of papers to grade or clients to serve, or a gnarly spell of burnout, please remember: you don’t have to go it alone.
With love and all best wishes for sustainable stamina,
Deborah
Coach, Girl Meets Voice Inc.
Visiting Scholar, Northwestern University
Writer (in it for the long haul)
I’M OPENING UP *THREE* NEW THOUGHT PARTNERSHIP SLOTS, STARTING IN OCTOBER
WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING
COVID is good for one thing and one thing alone: catching up on shows. My top 5 recos:
The Decameron, My Lady Jane, Offspring, The Watcher, The Perfect Couple.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO FINISHING READING AS MY BRAIN COMES BACK ONLINE
Jo-Ann Finkelstein, Sexism and Sensibility: Raising Empowered, Resilient Girls in the Modern World
“An invaluable guide to understanding and dismantling sexism for parents trying to raise confident and powerful girls in a culture that often demeans them.”
My girl Jo is on fire!
Writing from a cafe on Main Street in Evanston during a bout of late-summer construction. Distraction? What distraction?
Today in lake, recuperating from COVID edition. Each day that I’ve been able to, I’ve waded in Lake Michigan. The water is the warmest this time of year. And no, I didn’t build that castle, but someone very talented did.
www.girlmeetsvoice.com (coaching site)
www.deborahsiegelphd.com (author site)