Patience & Knowing

How many times are we told to be patient during our lifetimes? It can be hard. Part of what helps me maintain patience is having faith that I will know when the time is right to move forward. Even with this forward motion, patience remains the mainstay because many of our greater endeavors take time to reach its goal even after actions are set in motion.

Being in the right frame of mind is so important with creative endeavors whether it is writing, art, pottery, gardening, or any of that. For me, my heart has to be there motivating the effort. Sometimes though, a goal (as I blogged about not to long ago) can spark energy that has been lacking and recruit the heart to pitch in. I don't know if that works for everyone, but it does work for me.

I so hesitate to lay out a map or plan in any way for anyone but me. When I first started writing (or maybe when I first came back to it--I used to write all the time as a kid and regret not keeping that work), I did it for both distraction and fun. When I first thought about sharing my story, I realized I had so much to learn about so many things. I read about plotting and outlining and strategies to get a story onto paper. How to market and track progress while engaging with others. All so overwhelming for me but not everyone. Some get so deep into it all and get fantastic results.

Not me. In the process of learning all...that, I learned I am a "pantser". I write by the seat of my pants. No outline. I have a plot and a vision, but they are in my head. I do write down some notes and images, but then, as the characters come to life, I let them take over and tell their story. So many conversations and possibilities stir inside my head. Sometimes it take days to mull it over before sitting down to my laptop to write. It is fun. It is energizing. And it is so me. The introvert who revels in solitude and peace most of the time.

I don't know what you wait for or where your patience lays, but you do. And that's what matters. Here's to finding our joy, the patience to allow it to arrive, and the knowing when it's here.

The Between is a parallel novel to The Wings of Time trilogy that has been screaming (inside my head) to be written. I set a few goals earlier this year to help me focus on my writing. I have achieved 4474 words on the page (or screen as it is), and they feel right. They have been fun. And I hope to share them soon enough. Only about 90 to a 100k to go!

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From the Heart

It was a heart transplant that put time on my hands to create my trilogy, Wings of Time. Time sitting and waiting and hoping. A heart transplant for the person who held my heart. And even before this event, I have always been fascinated with heart symbolism. Hearts in nature. Hearts by happenstance. Hearts in architecture. Art. Literature. Joy. And sadness. Seeing such an image always makes me take pause. Don't know why. I just do.

It's no wonder that a heart fell into my story. I did not plan it, it just came to be. With the story development the amber heart's importance grew. For Hallie, it holds a sense of home, warmth and comfort when she is alone and unsure. Formed from the Tree of Life's sap, it protects a bit of feather from Hester's wings when they were still white and pure and before her fall. Because of this, it connects Hallie to worlds beyond her imagination while preserving memories and hope for a future that may be somewhere in the past.

Although biology tells us there is a heart-mind connection, the direction of influence depends on the person and circumstance. With tomorrow's holiday that celebrates the heart, I hope your Valentine's Day, whether you share it with someone or radiate with your own self-love, will be the day you want it to be.

Dreamy

I have decided that 2022 is the year for me to move forward with not just the creative endeavors that seem to come easily for me, but to find a way to move them into the world outside my own imagination. Not an easy task. At least it has not been. My stagnation began before the pandemic and then the desire to mire in it, with the pandemic, grew. It is amazing what can tie us down, and it is amazing how energizing it is to climb up out of the boggy mess holding us back. For me the light always shimmers through knowledge. I started thinking--dreaming mostly--then reading and then internet surfing. LOTS of wandering. Then I received an email about Inkers Mini Con. A webinar for authors about the business of writing. It was a great price and something I could view on my own time. BINGO--I was in. I found a foundation for focus. Step One: Write a business plan. Ugh, feels like so much homework, but I trudged forward, and today actually started on it. Part of the business plan process is to write measurable goals with deadlines. Yuck. And, for some reason, deadlines just means dead to me. Or, kill the dreams. So, back to the web, and I found this site for University Of The People. Isn't that a fantastic name for a learning institute? The site starts with:

"Do you know the difference between dreams vs goals? While dreams and goals may be often confused with one another, there are several differences. Just waiting for your dreams to come true on their own will never happen. Dreaming can be fun and exciting, but you’ll be waiting a lifetime without one key puzzle piece to make those dreams a reality."

"Man," I'm thinking. "They are going to kill the dreams, but they didn't. They gave the dreams a real-world existence." (Kinda like the imagination and the craft of writing gives us paranormal fantasy.)

They then said:

"There is a price for having goals and it requires hard work. Dreams are completely free and only require your imagination in order to be created. Goals, on the other hand, will need some sort of investment, like fees for courses, time spent at the gym, or training to start your own business. The best part is that as a result of your hard work and investment, goals produce results, while dreams don’t."

Don't worry, they get you there with this:

"Give yourself the time to dream. You may get so caught up in your day-to-day life that sometimes you don’t have the chance to just sit and dream. Try to schedule a few minutes a day to let your mind wander and dream. Breathe and let yourself relax. Don’t worry if you haven’t done this in a long time, your brain knows exactly what to do. You may find yourself defining your dreams and becoming more clear as you continue to give yourself more and more opportunities to dream."

Then:

"All those ideas you didn’t think could become a reality are possible when you attach those dreams and goals together."

And there it is. Be a dreamer and a worker to make it all a reality (or fantasy, depending on your genre). =]

If you're looking for a higher education program, check them out:

(https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/dreams-vs-goals-the-differences-that-matter/#:~:text=Dreams%20are%20something%20you%20create,need%20that%20kind%20of%20focus.&text=But%20for%20goals%20to%20be,to%20be%20specific%20and%20consistent).