Notes From the Author

I hope to use this blog as a diary of sorts, in order to document my quest of perfecting my skills. Areas that I am particularly fond of include: photography, gardening, cooking - baking -canning, painting - sketching and of course writing. Like so many others, the word 'perfection' haunts me. I strive to reach it daily not truly knowing what it is or how to achieve it. Yet, I won't settle for less. Here is my blog showing my struggles and my hopeful successes. I don't need to be perfect but I must try to ascertain it.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Listening to the Rhythms of my World


Lately, I’ve been attempting to live by a new concept – at least new to me.  Instead of my usual fight to bend the world to my will, I’ve taken a step back and am embracing the universe and all its rhythms.  I am trying to work with the uncontrollable forces of my life instead of in spite of them.

For example, this spring as I worked in my garden, I focused on what was easiest to do each day.  If it were rainy or wet – I pulled weeds because they removed with ease in the wet soil even though my head told me I needed to be planting because it was getting late in the year.  But last year I learned that planting in the rain could wash away the seeds and walking through the mud in my vegetable garden destroys the composition of the dirt – so I listened to the world around me and only planted after the soil had dried enough that it was no longer easy to pull weeds.  Then on the really dry days when even planting was difficult – I pruned the overgrowth. 
My logical side was appalled by my new concept.  Everything has an order.  Finish one project before starting another - planting before weeding.  But this year I didn’t listen to my logic and somehow my garden grows.  The vegetable crop is maturing admittedly later than usual but the work was much more enjoyable.
So looking at my work as a writer, I’ve begun to wonder if the same concept applies:  listen to the universe and my writing will come easier and better than trying to fit it into an agenda.  I’m not sure.  We’ve all had those days when ideas flow from our minds with elegance - or had days when editing comes easy by using a critical mindset and seeing what works and what doesn’t.  But I fear that if I don’t stick to an agenda, I will avoid and neglect specific activities indefinitely and never finish anything.
In either case, I’ve had a bad case of ‘I don’t want to work with anything dealing with writing’ and I need to find a way to break out of this slump.

No comments:

Post a Comment