So my writing this past week has been pretty good. Not spectacular. Not any 6000 words a day (pffff!).
But I do have a total of 7,000 words on a new project. Even so, I have slipped into some previously bad habits of fooling around the internet, reading interesting forums, getting hooked into fascinating you tube videos, etc. Time to Get Serious again.
And another note on writing. I struggle a lot internally between wanting to write something that will hit a "sweet spot" and catch on fire, that is, a subject matter that is suddenly "hot," like vampires were just as Twilight came onto the scene or what happened with the author that we went to see last weekend, where she was told that suddenly time travel books were "in." So naturally I want to hit one of the sweet spots. Dystopian novels are really in, and I really do dig those. I feel like I have no new ideas for one of those that hasn't already been done a million times. Sadly, though, as part of that whole "Be Andrea" resolution happiness projecty thing that I've been trying to act on, my interests tend to gravitate toward things that are not overall popular. I tend to go for the darker side of fate and human nature, things that people don't really want to escape read to explore. I tend to be interested in morbid things that most people would shudder about and say, "Why do you want to read about/write about such things?" I'm not afraid of the dark, I know what goes bump in the night, and sometimes I just want to explore it with my own flashlight. But my "nice girl" side just can't. My "nice girl" side wants to write something fluffier that appeals on a mass level. So somehow I need to find a balance between the two.
In other news, have to drop sugar and flour from my diet for awhile. Long story, but hypoglycemia is knocking at the door again. So while it is very disappointing to have to give up some awesome things that I love (like J.'s amazing homemade breads and pizzas!) and cupcakes. CUPCAKES, noooo, not fair, I know from previous experiences that after a few days, I will start to feel super good and energetic once again. Also this isn't forever. By summer I should be able to have those things occasionally again!
Showing posts with label happiness project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness project. Show all posts
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Being Me
Well, as I mentioned yesterday when I talked about the Happiness Project and the author's personal commandments, I was really struck by the one that is "Being ___[insert your own name]."
It sounds so obvious and yet -- not. I think most of us are used to masking who we really are in order to fit in or hating ourselves because we don't, whether it's with your family or coworkers or friends (Thankfully, I have a huge number of friends and family who seem to accept my eccentric self the way I am for the most part). Still, being a creative type who tends to work with very normal people, it's really more often than not that I have to hide at least parts of my true nature. Now, I don't act fake. I don't pretend to like shopping or discussions about domestic things like bathroom improvements. In fact, I'm sometimes way too opinionated. I used to have a notepad that stated, "Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion." Uh-huh. But the surly curl of my lip while raising my eyebrows at the very idea of having bathroom improvements in my life has never in any way meant to put other people's interests down. It was more an insecurity thing. Part of me wishes I were more "normal," that I fit in with what regular 40-something women were into. (I do admit to trying to get into "Dancing With the Stars" in order to be able to participate in a lunch time discussion with colleagues...*cough*, that didn't last very long)
The other part of me is very pleased that I do not fit in. I may not have a normal marriage or own a house or have 2.2 kids and a dog, but I have had experiences not many others I have run into have. I have lived in foreign countries, I have traveled alone, I have looked death and horror in the face in the guise of an armed robber/rapist. I have made rash decisions, some of which have come out okay and some have not. But I never regret not trying.
So what does "Being Andrea" mean? It means owning my own experiences and ways of looking at life. It means being okay with being a writer who has yet to follow through on something (although that's changing now). It means not being ashamed that I like hokey old school soca music and Abba and 80s hits and occasionally really angry hip hop. It means openly admitting to people older than my three-year-old niece that I think mermaids are the coolest. It means not being ashamed that I talk to my cat in silly sing-song in the bathroom (the neighbors probably concur that this is dorkitude). It means admitting that I love bad horror movies (and of course vacation gone wrong movies!) and dark, gritty true crime shows. It means admitting and being okay with not liking to go out late at night to parties or rock concerts or baby showers.
I feel like I should be writing more that is profound here. There is probably more to say on this. A lot more. But I will stop for now. Stay tuned for writings about writing soon!
It sounds so obvious and yet -- not. I think most of us are used to masking who we really are in order to fit in or hating ourselves because we don't, whether it's with your family or coworkers or friends (Thankfully, I have a huge number of friends and family who seem to accept my eccentric self the way I am for the most part). Still, being a creative type who tends to work with very normal people, it's really more often than not that I have to hide at least parts of my true nature. Now, I don't act fake. I don't pretend to like shopping or discussions about domestic things like bathroom improvements. In fact, I'm sometimes way too opinionated. I used to have a notepad that stated, "Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion." Uh-huh. But the surly curl of my lip while raising my eyebrows at the very idea of having bathroom improvements in my life has never in any way meant to put other people's interests down. It was more an insecurity thing. Part of me wishes I were more "normal," that I fit in with what regular 40-something women were into. (I do admit to trying to get into "Dancing With the Stars" in order to be able to participate in a lunch time discussion with colleagues...*cough*, that didn't last very long)
The other part of me is very pleased that I do not fit in. I may not have a normal marriage or own a house or have 2.2 kids and a dog, but I have had experiences not many others I have run into have. I have lived in foreign countries, I have traveled alone, I have looked death and horror in the face in the guise of an armed robber/rapist. I have made rash decisions, some of which have come out okay and some have not. But I never regret not trying.
So what does "Being Andrea" mean? It means owning my own experiences and ways of looking at life. It means being okay with being a writer who has yet to follow through on something (although that's changing now). It means not being ashamed that I like hokey old school soca music and Abba and 80s hits and occasionally really angry hip hop. It means openly admitting to people older than my three-year-old niece that I think mermaids are the coolest. It means not being ashamed that I talk to my cat in silly sing-song in the bathroom (the neighbors probably concur that this is dorkitude). It means admitting that I love bad horror movies (and of course vacation gone wrong movies!) and dark, gritty true crime shows. It means admitting and being okay with not liking to go out late at night to parties or rock concerts or baby showers.
I feel like I should be writing more that is profound here. There is probably more to say on this. A lot more. But I will stop for now. Stay tuned for writings about writing soon!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy 2012!
As I scuttle around the house on the very last day of my vacation (which did not go wrong and in fact was very good on a lot of different levels), cooking for the week, doing laundry, etc., it occurs to me that I am at peace beginning this January and it's all because of an awesome blog that I discovered during the last few days:
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
As often happens in these cases, I was desperate to find something to inspire me out of this funk I've been in for months on end, something to help me change my attitude, get off my butt and start living and creating again, and get organized. I don't even know how I found the site. I think it was an accident, but I have been devouring the archives for the last five days or so and I'm only in 2007 somewhere!
The blog started when the blogger, a writer (yay, writers! WE ARE COOL YES WE ARE), decided to do research and self-experimentation in pursuit of happiness. She approaches it from different angles, from current scientific knowledge to wisdom from the ages to popular culture. There is a lot of concrete advice, a lot of inspiration in just the way I tend to like it. Not overly sappy/sentimental while being concrete enough to try myself or mold it into something I could try myself. She has twelve personal commandments, the top of which is "Being Gretchen" (basically about loving and owning who she is and being authentic in that way). This is more complicated than you may think and I will talk about that another day.
So here, starting January 1, 2012, I embark on my personal Happiness Project. I know that a huge part of what makes me happy is when I think I am living up to my expectations and accomplishing personal goals (such as writing/running/etc.) and not brooding. I don't call these New Year's resolutions per se, because I hope it's not something that drizzles out in a few days, weeks, or even months. I hope it's something to hang onto when my natural tendency to be lazy and unmotivated kicks in.
And also? Not to be so stereotypical New Year's Day, but these extra holiday pounds (5 of them!!!) have to go. Farewell to the plethora of cookies, rich dips and chips, comfort food, wine, chocolate. Hello, vegetables and fruit and water and running. I've never really been on a diet that's lasted for more than two days (I get really bored by diets), so this will be interesting to see if I can last.
Anyway, I know I promised Pink Audrey a post about writing -- that will come some time this week.
Happy New Year, good friends and family! Good luck to us!
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
As often happens in these cases, I was desperate to find something to inspire me out of this funk I've been in for months on end, something to help me change my attitude, get off my butt and start living and creating again, and get organized. I don't even know how I found the site. I think it was an accident, but I have been devouring the archives for the last five days or so and I'm only in 2007 somewhere!
The blog started when the blogger, a writer (yay, writers! WE ARE COOL YES WE ARE), decided to do research and self-experimentation in pursuit of happiness. She approaches it from different angles, from current scientific knowledge to wisdom from the ages to popular culture. There is a lot of concrete advice, a lot of inspiration in just the way I tend to like it. Not overly sappy/sentimental while being concrete enough to try myself or mold it into something I could try myself. She has twelve personal commandments, the top of which is "Being Gretchen" (basically about loving and owning who she is and being authentic in that way). This is more complicated than you may think and I will talk about that another day.
So here, starting January 1, 2012, I embark on my personal Happiness Project. I know that a huge part of what makes me happy is when I think I am living up to my expectations and accomplishing personal goals (such as writing/running/etc.) and not brooding. I don't call these New Year's resolutions per se, because I hope it's not something that drizzles out in a few days, weeks, or even months. I hope it's something to hang onto when my natural tendency to be lazy and unmotivated kicks in.
And also? Not to be so stereotypical New Year's Day, but these extra holiday pounds (5 of them!!!) have to go. Farewell to the plethora of cookies, rich dips and chips, comfort food, wine, chocolate. Hello, vegetables and fruit and water and running. I've never really been on a diet that's lasted for more than two days (I get really bored by diets), so this will be interesting to see if I can last.
Anyway, I know I promised Pink Audrey a post about writing -- that will come some time this week.
Happy New Year, good friends and family! Good luck to us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)