Writing. Sit down and do it.

Writing notebooks dating from the '60's. Write your stuff when, where, how you can. Ask for help when you need it. Keep reading and learning. Seek out other writers who are close to your path. The I Ching says it furthers to find a great teacher. You will find many. Practice Makes Possible.

These are just the poems and stories that made it to a word processor. There are stacks and stacks of handwritten queries, words, phrases, scribbled on the backs of concert posters, envelopes, spiral-bounds, ticket stubs, receipts, anything that will take graphite or ink. It's my compost heap.

I am a Procrastinator. If I can do it, anyone can. You can grow your own process.

Writing. Boston to Austin.

Downtown Boston looking pretty good. View of the recently renovated green over the tunnel.

This is about writing. Overcoming whatever obstacles to get the words down. Simply playing with words. Using them as building materials to tell your stories. That's it.

In several writing classes, I've noticed that a lot of folks have trouble getting started. I do too, sometimes. The trick is to go with the ebb and flow, you write what you can when you can.

Came across the best advice for parents of children who write. Outstanding for the inner child, as well. If we all treated ourselves this way, we could actually change something. And then write some more.

My writing ebbs and flows. I sometimes resist it. Fear rushes in where fools dare to tread. To mangle a metaphor. I keep writing. That's all that matters.

I came across a notebook from a La Zona Rosa workshop with Rosemary Daniell dated 1.27.07. The prompt was "You can no longer deny..." I wrote of my frustration with not finding/making more time to write my own stuff. Also blogged about it. I was paid to write, edit, et al, all day. Academorporate Speak. I had a bad taste in my mouth, writerly-wise. The upshot is that the act of sitting down, focusing, and knocking out anything AT FREAKING ALL about my own resistance to sitting down and writing something that was important to me, and how I came up with ideas to work through my tendency to procrastinate, was pretty danged awesome.

Four years later, I am refreshed by the fact that I've been actively writing for decade after decade. I find that it's a little easier finding a few moments to just get some of that stuff down that's bouncing around in my head, even if it's only red ink in a composition book. Give your Future Self the gift of You Right Now. You never know what blinding insights you'll receive from Your Very Own Self.

Tell your stories. No matter who does or does not read them. That's the Connection.

Retirement: Month Five

Yes, Virginia, it DOES snow in Austin...on occasion. Of course it doesn't last very long. We more frequently get sleet and ice, because it DOES get very cold--those Blue Northers are for real. 80 degrees during the day, down to 15-25 that night. Linus was not impressed with the snow--sat on a flattened cardboard box rather than in the cold wet and wanted back in the house after only a few minutes.

More importantly, January was a fun month! Got all my W-2s and 1099s, so I can do my taxes, and should get a return, even. Always a good thing!

And lots of time with grand-niece. It's such a joy watching her grow and gaining her trust.

Birthday celebrations abounded, always exciting. And my first visit from the cleaning service, which went a loooong way towards de-cluttering. Not as successful in converting our mom's interview tapes to CD--not all tech works the way it should. Looking for a more effective way to preserve all those great authors' responses to her incisive interview questions.

Down with a big, bad chest/head cold--shouldn't be flu, cause I got my flu shot.

Some tech worked: transferring all my writing from PC to Mac so I can work on stuff when away. Progress on creating an editing/writing/proofing Web site landing page as part of freelancing business. Meeting fascinating people and making contacts to move this project along. Changing auto insurance carriers and saving $900/yr. was a biggie. Even came with better coverage and more features.

Doing what I can to help colleagues out who got let go from UT. I'm happy to write recommendations, review cover letters, etc. for what it's worth. Celebrating when friends find new employment, commiserating when friends run into obstacles. Creative problem-solving.

Learning more about how to leverage social media, reaching more people. Still deciding what I really want to do when I grow up. My problem is that there is SO much I want to do, it's difficult to focus on only one or two options. Sometimes having lots of choices is more intimidating that having only a few.

Watching the CNN coverage of the Egyptian revolution. Wondering why more people aren't involved.

Next project--updating blog roll with all the new groovy people I'm meeting. If the weather lets up, am considering a trip to Port Aransas to see the whooping cranes--I've wanted to do that for decades! Now on to Awesomeness--self-introspection--some might say that I have an overabundance of that...

Summertime in Austin

With temps nearing 100 it's time to protect from the sun and stay cool. Two new ACs and two new overhead fans should help with reducing consumption and cost. So far, it's running about 20-30% less than this time last summer. That's a start.

My brain grew some righteous folds over the last few weeks. Planning the work flow for porting Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 with a large group calls for lots 'o B vitamins, processing, and mapping. Now we get to train. Then we get to edit. Lots 'o pages.

Twyla Tharp's "The Creative Habit" is a beautiful piece of art. It is beautifully laid out, all text, no photos, but the use of font size, minimal color, gray tones, and clarity reminds me of "Zen Bones." What she has to say is equally true no matter what you are doing, doesn't have to be art. Her exercises are fluid, natural, and evolve from living authentically in the real world and loving what you do. It's a luscious treat on a number of levels. Read it.