HOW TO KEEP GOING

Photo by Andres Ayrton on Pexels.com

I have 4 more posts to write for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Today is a tough one. I have no idea what to write and I am not in the mood. You think I’m a teenager with attitude. I feel plumb out of metal. I don’t even have a bit of rust to write about. So I went searching on how to write when I don’t feel like it. Here’s what I found:

  1. Find Your “Creative Nook” …
  2. Make It Your Job. …
  3. Take a deep breath. …
  4. Hang Out With Other Writers. …
  5. Sit With the Pain and Grief
  6. Have some sort of ritual or routine to get them into the writing mood.
  7. Write about it .
  8. Plan.
  9. Free write
  10. Pull out your laptop, notebook or whatever it is that you like writing on, and just start writing!

I do have a writing nook and am sitting with pain and grief. Sometimes I do write about it but not today. My problem is I never have a plan. I often just sit at the keyboard and tap away. Sometimes just gibberish but sometimes I write some good stuff. Today is not the day. Today I’m just getting by.

Day 28 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

HOW TO KEEP GOING INCH BY INCH

Here I am on Day 3 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I am struggling already. I have to wisen up and listen to my body. I’ve been working it too hard lately with my daily ski and altering and sewing projects. My right hand is sore, numb and tingling at times. It’s probably from gripping the seam ripper too much. No more ripping and sewing heavy material for awhile. I can use one or two rest days a week from skiing. I will not rust from lack of activity.

I will keep going with the Ultimate Blog Challenge and the100dayproject. I really like Anne Lamott’s advice in her book Bird by Bird. It really is a manual for writing and life. When I get overwhelmed by any thing/project I think about her One-Inch Frame. I write/work within that frame until it is done, then I move to the next inch. I tap out a word/idea, sentence, paragraph. I’m building an idea/sentence/paragrah at a time. At the end I will have a blog post. If I write a few more posts, it could lead to a chapter. Chapters can add up to a book. I don’t have that aspiration. But who knows?

I work at my Log Cabin quilt squares the same way. Each square has 17 components. The project was actually started a few years ago. I had some 1 1/2 strips cut up but that was as far as I got. They’ve been patiently waiting for me all this time. I am not an experienced quilter but I have taken a beginner’s class a long time ago. I have lots of material and all the tools. The Log Cabin square begins by sewing two 1-inch squares together. They are 1 and 2 in the photo. Then I sew on 3. The strips are not cut to size except the first 2. I cut up two 1 1/2 inch lengths, allowing for 1/4inch hem allowances. Then I sew on 3 and cut off the excess length. Each seam is pressed before going on the next. There’s no rushing. Patience, Precision and Care. It settles my brain. It’s good for me.