Follow The Whimsy

Today, we're gonna talk about something a little different.

The last two weeks of June just fell apart on me. I didn't do any sort of writing at all, so I didn't hit word count goals. Some personal stuff cropped up, then there's the heat, and all motivation has gone out the window. Writing is easier in the evening, cause the sun has gone down and the house cools down, but then I'm tired and I don't want to do anything. The struggles of being an Author and allowing things to get in the way or progress.

Thing is, I'm not even creatively blocked. I know exactly what my next chapter is supposed to be, and a few chapters after that one. I just don't want to write.

So, how do we get out of a slump like this? Frankly forgiveness. Its not like I have a deadline to meet. Yes, I wanted 100k words by end of Aug, but I don't think I'll be managing that, and that's okay. I'm not under deadline by a Publisher or an Agent, its my own timeline, if I don't make it, its not the end of the world.

But forgiveness isn't going to be all I need. Forgiveness will ensure that when Aug rolls around and I haven't hit my word goal, I don't drop into a black hole of self-doubt and disparage about being unable achieve the goals I set out.

No, what I need to do, is fill my cup and build a ladder. I know weird turn of phrases. Let me explain.

To fill your cup, is doing things that are self-care and improving your mental state. Building a Ladder, is doing things that would pull you out of that black hole I perviously mentioned. They do sound similar, but there are some nuance differences.

For me, self-care is a long bath, cuddling one of my cats, sleeping in (admittedly I've been doing this a lot lately) eating some junk food. Building a ladder for me, is getting Boba Tea with my friends, going to see a movie, playing a video game by myself. Going shopping! I'm going to Canada's Wonderland this month, so I'm looking forward to that.

I have self-care handled. I have a great routine that works the way I want it too. What do I do about my ladder though? I'm going to follow my Whimsy. Its a phrase I recently coined with my friends. Basically when you just take off on an adventure and let the wind take you somewhere.

Following my Whimsy;

Get paint for my roomGo to the Local BakeryALL THE BAKINGClean my deskClean my room (so I can paint) Go shopping with Mom (I think we both need it)Clean some cabinets (By the time of posting this I have done the pantry) Go the gym twice a week instead of just once. Get more Boba.

I know a lot of this just sounds like a to-do list, but honestly this is what's filling my head the most right now. I'm assuming if I get some of these ideas out of my head, there will be more room for writing.

Another thing that's been bogging down my brain, is that I want to start making youtube and tiktok content. I've got two choices as an Author growing her platform; informational videos or vlog like content. I feel the internet is full of informational content for Authors and I don't think I'd have anything meaningful to contribute to that, so that leaves me with vlog type content.

To say I'm nervous as hell, that I do a full shut down stall and don't do anything at the thought of picking up my phone or camera to film anything, is putting it mildly. Which frankly, I've streamed, it shouldn't be that hard to film something. Maybe its the fact I'll be showing my face and not using an avatar. In my head, I've scripted out numerous 'hey this is me' intro videos. Just when I think about doing it my system goes 'Big Nope!'.

I don't think the filming and stuff is stopping me from writing though. I love writing too much, its just a lot of other stuff going on that is filling my brain and blocking the creativity.

So what's going to be my process to get my brain back in order? I'm just going to allow myself to do what I want. The way things have been lately, I'm not really doing anything because, for example; I've been wanting to bake a crap ton of cookies, but I'm not because I feel like I should be writing, or laundry or something else that needs doing, but I'm not doing that because I don't feel like doing it that moment, so I just do nothing. Very typical neurodivergent behaviour (maybe I need diagnosing?). Would that even help at my age?

I think for the next couple of days this is going to be my plan. Ensure I get up for gym on Mon and Wed. My energies might be low because I've not been going to the gym. Maybe get my hands on some Iron pills.

Allow myself to do what I want, assuming its not too hot. It'll be uncomfortable to bake a bunch of cookies, heating the house up in the process. But I could go to the bakery or the boba tea shop instead.

Hopefully that'll allow my brain to clear out enough that I'll have room for creative writing again.

Thing is, I have so many mental notes and physical notes for the next couple of chapters that I could probably get my weekly word count with zero issue. I think I probably have enough mental content for 3 chapters, I just need the mental space!

Give me the mental space! That's all I want!

Maybe that'll be a good thing for vlogging; the whimsy stuff. Just need to get into that habit. Definitely something I need to sit down and schedule, while trying to break habits and cycles. Its so easy to fall down content rabbit holes trying to learn and help myself figure things out. But that's part of my problem, I want to focus to hard on the theory that I get fearful of the practical knowledge.

Well, here's to the whimsy!

Let's see where we end up going.