My creativity has crawled away. My focus has flown the coop. My motivation has meandered off. I can only hope they're all together somewhere, enjoying happy hour beach-side and toasting with tropical drinks crowned with little umbrellas.
I was doing okay overall with the COVID-19 situation. Sure, there's been bumps, like an ongoing delay with moving into our new place and issues with my husband's business, but nothing compared to what some other people are dealing with. So what happened? I have no idea.
My most recent "accomplishment" – and I use the term very loosely – was giving my husband a haircut. Not even a cut, more of a trim. The result? He looks a lot like Larry. Larry is a tortoise. A handsome tortoise, but still a tortoise. And tortoises don't have hair. You do the math.
What's inspiring you? What's motivating you? Please give me the kick in the butt I need to get going again. And feel free to use both feet.
I would really like to join the rest of my gang in time for their next round of margaritas.
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| Join us! |
Struggling to write right now, but am forcing myself to sit in front of the computer anyway. COVID is such a struggle, in so very many ways. Hang in there and good for you on the haircut.
ReplyDeleteYou hang in there, too, Liza!
DeleteI think my husband would disagree with you about the haircut.... :)
Wow, giving your husband a haircut is a super thing. Why aren't you writing, this is the perfect time to write. Hope things are okay in your city?
ReplyDeleteThe physical time for writing is there, but not the mental focus, etc.
DeleteThings are okay overall here, but we're still being careful.
You cracked me up with your comparison of your haircut to how Larry the tortoise looks :) I desperately need a haircut but can't quite bring myself to let my hubby have a go.
ReplyDeleteWhat's motivating me these days - setting crazy self-imposed deadlines by putting books up for pre-order. Procrastination is less of an option when people have already pre-ordered your book.
Take care
My hair is the longest it's been in probably about twenty years, and it's driving me crazy. But not crazy enough to let my husband cut it. :)
DeleteYour self-imposed deadlines have consequences. Mine just have me shrugging and going to get some chocolate. :)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteMy sister and her husband in Michigan were also caught between moving from Michigan to Tennessee. So they're stuck with an almost empty house until the governor lifts the quarantine. Hang in there!
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
I feel for your sister and her husband! It's such a weird state of limbo to be in.
DeleteI wrote a story that I meant to be silly, and I was having so much fun with it, it kind of ran away with me. I found, once I got myself started, that I would rather run around free in my fictional world than pay attention to the crazy news out there. I felt, for a while, that it was somehow my responsibility to journal "CoVid" but that just sucked my energy away, so I stopped. For me, my writing has been an escape lately.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of running around in fictional worlds. I guess I'm kind of doing that with my reading.
DeleteSo many people are journaling about their COVID experience, but I couldn't get myself to do it.
This is a great time to approach writing as play rather than work. My day job is taking up all my work bandwidth. The rest of my life needs to be about fun.
DeleteI wasn't doing too badly early on, but all that creative juice got slurped up fast, much like a frozen pina colada.
DeleteI write for my job, so I still do that. Like you, I haven't been working on my manuscript though. I hope to get back into it, but it's hard with all this uncertainty in life. You're braver than me trying to cut someone's hair. I really need a haircut too.
ReplyDeleteIt was either I try trimming my husband's hair or he was going to HAVE to wear a hat whenever he ventured out. :)
DeleteHang in there, Natalie!
If only beating myself up was a good thing, I'd get some kind of award or prize for it. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! And hugs right back at you.
You'll get there when you get there. I've been cutting my husband's hair for years. He refuses to go in and have it done. I've gotten pretty good at it. If I do say so myself. :) Anyway he has no complaints. Just takes practice!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yolanda!
DeleteI do think if I practiced enough I could do an okay job with the hair cutting, but I'd rather leave it to the professionals. :)
Well, I haven't had to cut my hubby's hair. Not that he had all that much of it before all of the chemo and radiation, but his head is smoother than a cue ball right now. (It actually looks good!) On the other hand, I've cut my own hair. Probably not a great idea. I have a pic around here of me at the age of four, right after I gave myself a "haircut," and I must say, my talents haven't improved.
ReplyDeleteGive yourself a break. If the writing isn't coming easily for you right now, do whatever you need to do to get centered again. Fuhgetabout the writing! Take a bunch of slow deep breaths and concentrate on taking care of yourself and your hubby. Accentuate the positive... eliminate the negative... :)
Ha on the haircut! I wouldn't even attempt giving myself one. I can barely cut paper.
DeleteI'll try regarding giving myself a break, but it's not easy. I'm very hard on myself, especially when it comes to writing. I don't have many actual skills (hello, haircut!), so I have to make sure I don't lose the ones I have! :)
You could always concentrate on developing NEW skills. :)
DeleteLike the other day... I crocheted afghans for our cats. HA! (I'm not even kidding... )
Hmm, maybe the tortoises would like a blanket.... :)
DeleteMy significant other does the buzz cut thing from time to time. Most of it, he can handle himself, but I do get recruited at the end to clean up any spots he missed. I take reassurance from knowing I can't really screw it up, and even if I do, it's hair and it'll grow back. Probably...
ReplyDeleteThe really scary thing is when I get irritated enough to give myself a haircut.
And I echo the calls to go easy on yourself...even though I am someone who definitely does not give herself any breaks where writing is concerned. My own creativity and focus has gone elsewhere, too. I like the idea of them having a happy hour cocktail somewhere...but not the idea that they're doing it without me.
My husband used to say that about his hair growing back..... :o
DeleteI can only hope they ordered me a margarita and are just waiting for me to arrive.
That gave me a chuckle, both your opening lines and your now bald husband. I'm going to have to get my wife to give me a trim. Just hope I don't wind up like Larry.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got a chuckle, Alex! And I'm sure your wife will do a better job than I did.
DeleteJust for the record, Larry is a very handsome tortoise. Mrs. Larry certainly thinks so. :)
I hate to say it, but they are not partying alone. Mine have snuck off too and I'm wondering if they are all together lifting a glass and snickering.
ReplyDeleteI say right back at them. I'll get the glasses. Maybe we'll talk about motivation or maybe we'll just sip and enjoy each other's company. ;-)
Anna from elements of emaginette
I don't think they're snickering. I think they're making the most of waiting for us. :)
DeleteSounds good! I bet a lot of blogging buddies would like to join us. Hmm, we better get some more glasses.....
Yeah, I think my muse is out partying somewhere too, but then she's a drunken floozie who can't be bothered to show up for work consistently anyway.
DeleteShe's welcome to join all the others. :)
DeleteYour first paragraph - I'm sorry to say, but it is the same for me. And I don't know how to get my creativity back. Maybe the new IWSG anthology, just announced by Alex, will get my juices flowing again. Hope is eternal, right?
ReplyDeleteGo for it, Olga! I find - usually, anyway - that writing to a theme/prompt/deadline/word count usually helps me. If nothing else, it gets me brainstorming.
DeleteI'm not going to say my creativity is **gone** but it's definitely doing some weird stuff, right now. I wrote a script for a children's book and actually did some research on how to submit it. That is not exactly in keeping with my career goals as a writer of grown-up science fiction. On the other hand, there are parrots. Parrots are better than nothing.
ReplyDeleteHappy IWSG Day!
Sounds like your creativity just wanted to go off and "play" and it's good that you let it. We never know where our words will take us. :)
DeleteI laughed at your hair cutting anecdote, Madeline. At my husband's insistence I gave him a haircut the other day. We both survived ~ LOL! I've read that the lack of motivation and energy that people are experiencing at this time is actually stress about all the uncertainty right now and all the health and financial pressures. Those people say we need to be kind and gentle with ourselves and cut ourselves a little slack.
ReplyDeleteIn about an hour I'm going to make myself a tropical cocktail (sans umbrella since my used umbrella collection was embarrassingly large after a few tropical vacations). I'll toast you and all those friends of yours, mine, and others who are having a great time without us! Take care my friend!
I'm glad I made you laugh!
DeleteYou can never have too many little umbrellas, especially ones that are souvenirs from wonderful tropical vacations. Raising a margarita right back at you! :)
Ah, Madeline, you dont' need a kick in the butt. You need some chocolate and a glass of wine, or a drink with one of those little unbrellas. We don't have to do one damn thing extra special right now. Getting through the day is special is enough.
ReplyDeleteI think a glass of wine is on the agenda some time over the next few days. And chocolate most definitely is. :)
DeleteIt's been good for my writing to be home, but a lot of other things keep interfering. You'll find that mojo again. Though I'm sick of hearing 'new normal' I believe we will become accustomed to things enough to feel more normal ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. And when does the "new normal" become the "old normal" once again I wonder?
DeleteCutting hair in this household will become a priority soon. I'm almost desperate enough to let one of the guys do mine (note: none of them has ever cut hair).
ReplyDeleteAs for motivation and the zone? Can't find mine with a telescope. But I'm running out of semi-productive excuses, so I'm hoping I'll get to work for want of anything better to do!
Yikes, Rebecca! Maybe just pull out some hats to wear instead? :)
DeleteYou'll find that zone again. We all will. Fingers crossed!
Ha! Thanks for making me laugh today! I think even if what's going on isn't affecting us as much as others, it's still hard to focus. I'm finally feeling more like a normal person this month, but last month I found it really hard to focus. I'm not sure if that means I'm getting used to this...I hope not.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
DeleteIt's like you start to feel a little better, a little more on track then pop! Something else throws you off, even if it's just a small thing. Balance feels especially precarious.
At least he won't need another cut for a while ;)
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha! Good point. :)
DeleteI think I spotted your creativity out of the corner of my eye, wandering through my weak attempt at building a new flower garden. She was shaking her head in dismay, wondering what on earth I was thinking. I suspect she'll be back home where she belongs any day. We all have our ups and downs during crises because the mind can only take so much pain and stress. Give the lethargy your full attention for a day or week, whatever it takes. Relax, bake cookies, draw pictures, take a long walk (store those extra endorphins for later). Then pluck an idea out of the sky and run with it. BTW, I cut my husband's hair too but I sure won't let him cut mine.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she wasn't shaking her head at your flowers because I bet they were lovely. She was shaking her head because she got lost on her way to Happy Hour. :)
DeleteI hope you and your husband are doing okay!
Well, for starters in joining your friends Creativity, Focus, and Motivation, maybe mix up some tropical drinks and crown them with little umbrellas??
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the move. I hope it starts smoothing out for you. Let's hope June brings us ever so close to that light at the end of the virus tunnel.
All this talk about tropical drinks really makes me want to have a margarita. Or a pina colada. Or both. :)
DeleteI, too, have had to add temporary hairdresser to my list of jobs since Covid-19. My husband (and I!) were pleasantly surprised that the results weren't catastrophic.
ReplyDeleteHaving recently moved myself I know all too well what an undertaking it is, so good luck with it when it finally happens. I'm sure once you're settled your buddies will be back.
Whew on the good haircutting results! :)
DeleteI hope my buddies will be back way before we move. Even if they just pop in now and then to bring me a margarita and help with a story idea or two.
Okay, Madeline, let's go to that beach together and enjoy the margaritas with our muses. Maybe add in some cabana boys for inspiration. LOL Know that you're not alone. Like you, the time is there for me, focusing is another story. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteLOL on the cabana boys, Diane! :)
DeleteFocus has definitely flown the coop. Although, it does seem like it's flitting and fluttering back home now and then lately....
My wife's been cutting my hair for years, ever since it thinned out to the point where all she needed was a good pair of electric trimmers. It's certainly saved us a bunch of money over the years.
ReplyDeleteGood to know! My husband's hairstyle isn't anything too fancy so it might be something I can handle going forward. With practice. :)
DeleteWe've all had lockdown haircuts in my house. Mine was a joint effort between my wife and youngest daughter (11!) and then wife and three daughters took turns cutting each others' - and everyone looks good! The inspiration will come back, I do hope you get an invite to those margaritas. A situation like this can be all-consuming if you let it, so a refuge is a real benefit if you can find it. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteNice, Nick!
DeleteI had sort of a refuge with my writing in the beginning of this whole mess, so I think I need to return to some form of that. Fingers crossed that works!
I'm having more of an issue reading right now, but it might just be the book. I'll know when I'm done.
ReplyDeleteI've come across a number of people online struggling with focusing and reading. Hang in there!
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