tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-204422702024-03-14T00:09:37.581-07:00Words and pictures from my mind to yoursMy personal creative journeys and companion to my creativity coaching business, MuseCraft™Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.comBlogger344125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-46524860038864276862012-07-05T11:54:00.000-07:002012-07-10T11:29:07.795-07:00Now It's Time to Say Goodbye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started this blog in January, 2006! I knew I'd been here a few years. I didn't realize it was over six years. I've learned so much about how all the technology works here, how to do links and add images, where to find images...I love this blog! But it's still time to say "goodbye."<br />
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I'm not closing it down. I really do love it. I've met so many wonderful people through the blog circles I've been in with this blog. And I've posted some things I really like. And there are comments that still make me smile. So I'm leaving this up. But I am making a shift.<br />
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I've been keeping this blog as my personal creativity blog. And I was trying to keep my blog over at <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://musecraftonline.com/?page_id=10">MuseCraft™</a> as more of a general or coaching-related creativity blog. But the two things--my personal creativity and my coaching practice--are too closely related to separate them that way. So one or the other of the blogs ended up languishing because I couldn't find a way to separate things enough to keep them both active without being redundant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">I hope you'll all come on over to </span><a href="http://musecraftonline.com/">MuseCraft™</a> and follow along, leave some comments, help me build that blog into a comfy, cozy home on the 'net the way this one has become. And thank you <b>so much</b> for reading!<br />
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<b style="color: red;">Edit:</b> If you're looking for my blog posts at <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="http://musecraftonline.com/">MuseCraft™</a>, you can find them by clicking on the <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/?page_id=10">MuseCraft™ Blog</a> link at the top of the page. Or by clicking the link here, of course. :)</div>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-42458108064531509362012-06-27T22:46:00.004-07:002012-06-27T22:46:53.795-07:00It's LateBut I wanted to get caught up on my <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>. Well, sort of caught up. I finished last week's story. <br />
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Week 7: <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Turncoat.pdf">Turncoat </a> <br />
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And that's it. Shortest post ever? Maybe so. <br />
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This week's story is going to be done this week! No more of this getting hung up on trying to make it good. No more! These are rough drafts, first drafts, meant to be terrible. And I will let them be terrible and trickle off and have inconsistencies. Because those can all be fixed later. But not having anything written can only be fixed by getting words down. So here they are.<br />
<br />Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-56511199342977289652012-06-27T19:58:00.001-07:002012-06-27T19:58:30.783-07:00Wishcasting Wednesday--Straight From the HeartI haven't done a Wishcasting Wednesday in quite a while. So much going on in my life--something had to give, and much as I love the wishes it was too hard to keep up. This week is a week off from <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/">ROW80</a>, though, and I'm struggling with feeling blocked and overwhelmed, so it seemed like a good time to come back to Wishcasting.<br />
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This week, Jamie asked, "<a href="http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/wishcasting-wednesday-what-is-your-hearts-wish">What is your heart's wish?</a>"<br />
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I feel overwhelmed and weepy and filled with this nameless longing when I read that. I don't have an answer, and yet I'm feeling pulled to answer this. Maybe it's something I need to answer in my journal. This may be one of those things that I need to write about over and over again. Maybe for now I will just wish to know what my heart's wish actually is.<br />
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I have visions, bits and pieces. House and home beautiful, inviting, relaxing, welcoming. Writing happening regularly. Creative work happening regularly. Healthy habits--movement and food all pleasurable and good. Those are a lot of wishes, but somehow in my head--in my heart--it all blends into one thing. So that's my heart's wish, even if it isn't clear.<br />
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And now I'm going back to last week's story for <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>. Because I got behind, but I'm not givign up. I'm going to catch up with last week's story, and then I'm going to keep going. Maybe that's not quite exactly how the challenge is supposed to go, but my rules say that at the end of the year I will have 52 rough drafts, and that is going to be a success.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-1268557397543396192012-06-20T21:38:00.001-07:002012-06-20T21:42:31.474-07:00WhirlwindWow. This round of <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/final-round-2-check-in-2/">ROW80</a> has gone by so quickly! I can't believe this is the final check-in, but here it is.<br />
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These were my goals at the beginning of the round:<br />
<ul>
<li>Write* at least 15 minutes each weekday; weekends are optional</li>
<li>Participate in the ROW80 Twitter discussions and use <a href="http://marla.typepad.com/the_relaxed_writer/2008/12/bookending-using-twitter-to-beat-procrastination-and-boost-your-writing-.html">bookending</a> techniques there to help me stay on task</li>
<li>Read and comment on blogs each check-in, even if I only have time for one or two.</li>
</ul>
The writing part of this morphed, especially after I started doing <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>. I have been getting writing done every week, so that's good, but I never hit the consistency I was looking for. I'm still not sure what a good rhythm is for me. But I'm writing! So I'm happy.<br />
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I really bombed on participating in discussions and commenting on blogs. I've had so much going on* since the beginning of the year, and I just didn't have the focus I needed to do this. I also found that the bookending didn't do anything for me, so I stopped doing that, but that was a conscious decision so I don't consider that a negative at all.<br />
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*The quick summary of "so much going on" is that I've been writing--at the end of this round I have six short story rough drafts posted (working on this week's now, but it isn't ready yet so can't be counted in this round). I also finished my <a href="http://www.kaizenmuse.com/">Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching (TM) </a>class and am working on the final bits for my certification. I've created and planned my first teleclass, <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/?page_id=484">Midsummer's Muse</a>, which I'll be presenting tomorrow night (it's free, and you're all invited to sign up if you want to come play!). I've been working on the planning for the <a href="http://www.timetravelersball.com/">Time Travelers' Ball and Exposition</a>. I've been participating in <a href="http://www.lisasonora.com/%20creative-practice/">Lisa Sonora Beam's Creative + Practice</a> and <a href="http://www.lizlamoreux.com/inner-excavate-along/">Liz Lamoreux's Inner Excavate-along</a>. It's been really busy around here since February, so I understand why I had trouble keeping up with checking blogs and such. But I really hope to do better next round.<br />
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Stay tuned for this week's story to get posted either tomorrow or Friday (probably Friday). Thanks so much for all the support! See you all next round.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-53278795395990342102012-06-14T15:58:00.000-07:002012-06-15T09:07:07.543-07:00Once Upon a TimeI just wrote a cheesy little children's fairy tale for this week's <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>. Not at all what I intended to write, and definitely not what I usually write. But yesterday everyone was passing around this article about "<a href="http://io9.com/5916970/the-22-rules-of-storytelling-according-to-pixar">The 22 Rules of Storytelling According to Pixar</a>." Of course I read it. And #4 caught my attention. Then this morning someone (darned if I can find that link now) sent around #4 as a writing prompt. So I used it.<br />
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Here's #4: <b><i>Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.</i></b><br />
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Anyhow, here's this week's story, only a day behind which I am please with considering last week's story didn't get posted until Saturday.<br />
<b><i> </i></b><br />
Week 6: <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Out-of-the-Woods.pdf">Out of the Woods</a>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-38789032090489268182012-06-13T15:17:00.000-07:002012-06-13T15:17:13.438-07:00Crashing Waves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/">ROW80 check-in</a>. Not much to report again... <br />
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The past two weeks have been too hectic, and I am feeling swamped. I'm going under! <br />
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Okay, it's not quite that drastic, at least not anymore. Finally, today, I feel like things have slowed down, but I still have things to do yet I am feeling wrung out and exhausted. Last week was crazy, so my <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a> piece got pushed to the weekend, and the weekend was busy, and now I'm not finished with this week's story... And then the (finally resolved) e-mail fiasco that took two full days to straighten out. Eek! I need to breathe! <br />
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I have to remind myself--balance is an activity. It is something you do. So there will be swings from one direction to the other, and sometimes they are big swings and take me too far into chaos or stagnation. But I always get to move out of those places and back toward that center. Now, today, is a day for me to do some of that. Some breathing. Some playing. Some setting things aside for later, when I have a bit more focus and clarity for them. They will be better and things will go more smoothly if I take this time.<br />
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I actually do have a story started for this week. It's one I started at the beginning of my 52 Stories journey, and I am finally feeling like working on it. I think I know what to do with it. We'll see. I may work on that later, but there's a good chance I won't touch it until tomorrow.<br />
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Today, I need something a little more introspective and meditative. This is what I want to work on today:<br />
<ul>
<li>Reading and taking a photo for the <a href="http://www.lizlamoreux.com/inner-excavate-along/">Inner Excavate-along</a></li>
<li>Reading and maybe adding some journal images for <a href="http://www.lisasonora.com/%20creative-practice/">Creative + Practice</a></li>
<li>Putting gesso on the pages of the travel journal I made for my vacation next month</li>
</ul>
I think I will also drink some tea and watch <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CHEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbs.com%2Fshows%2Fncis%2F&ei=pBDZT4XDMYT-6gHC94yJAw&usg=AFQjCNG4J6t-8mF-i4OjjFI0eqxRsv0o9A&sig2=jk3uprSXb1-cXKo7ZdGYDw">NCIS</a> reruns while I work. Because for some reason, NCIS in the background relaxes me and makes me feel like I'm safe with friends--it's like comfort food for my brain! <br />
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That's my check-in and my plan. I think I'm going to go work on those journal pages<b> right now</b>.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-9137342791989349602012-06-10T22:39:00.000-07:002012-06-10T22:39:26.697-07:00In Briefs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jOBwS_mXajM/T9WAqyeu7aI/AAAAAAAAAjk/uxwgq5YP-qo/s1600/Swim+Trunks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jOBwS_mXajM/T9WAqyeu7aI/AAAAAAAAAjk/uxwgq5YP-qo/s320/Swim+Trunks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or in brief. Whichever you prefer. I'm very tired today, so there's no promise that I'm actually going to be sensible. But I didn't want to miss my <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/sunday-check-in-10/">ROW80 check-in</a>, so here I am. <br />
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My real check-in was in <a href="http://wordcolors.blogspot.com/2012/06/potpourri.html">a post I wrote yesterday</a>. I had a lot to say, so I wrote it all down then. I had some big aha! moments this past week, and I had to get it all down. Basically, this is what I learned this week:<br />
<ol>
<li>I can write even when life is rough and I'm unmotivated and resistant.</li>
<li>Practice is built from perseverance, not perfection and sticking exactly to a schedule.</li>
<li>I am a writer, and I don't work well in the early morning; I work best in the afternoon and early evening.</li>
</ol>
A major accomplishment this week: even though it was a rough week, and even though it was later than I normally like, I finished my short story and got it posted. This is huge, because in the past a week like this one (nothing big happened, but there were a lot of smaller bumps and thumps in the road) would have made me quit. This week, I was slow, and I struggled, but I still got it done!<br />
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A few links to things I'm participating in right now or getting ready to jump in on. These are what led me to my breakthroughs this week:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://goinswriter.com/great-writers/">Jeff Goins' 15 Habits of Great Writers </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lisasonora.com/%20creative-practice/">Lisa Sonora Beam's Creative + Practice </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lizlamoreux.com/inner-excavate-along">Liz Lamoreux's Inner Excavate-along</a></li>
</ul>
This week, I will check in on more than two blogs (which seems to be where I've stalled out over the last several check-ins). And I will get another story done. Because I am a writer, and that's what I do.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-52406853170816844352012-06-09T16:22:00.002-07:002012-06-09T16:22:56.741-07:00Potpourri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post is a little of this and a little of that. Lots of stuff on my mind. But as I think about what I want to write about, I think I'm seeing a theme... <br />
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I finally finished my <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a> piece for this week. I really struggled. But I got it done! I am feeling very proud right now, not because of the story but because I was having a really rough week--lots going on, some heavy emotions, a yucky spring cold. I didn't want to write. I just wanted to hide out and read and play games. But I got it done! That feels so good, sitting down and doing the work even when everything was really rough. This feels like a breakthrough.<br />
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I've had a couple of big mind shifts this week. First, as I mentioned back in mid-May, I'm participating in <a href="http://www.lisasonora.com/%20creative-practice/">Lisa Sonora Beam's Creative + Practice</a> course. I am behind. I'm struggling to sink into the work, I keep letting things get in the way, and I keep getting annoyed with myself for not doing it. And then, yesterday, I had a realization. This work isn't a one time thing. I will be going through many of these lessons and activities over and over again. And, as with any practice, the beginning is rough, filled with skipped days and skimped-on work. But some days the work is happening. And I'm thinking about it, thinking of how to make it easier to show up for the work every day. And <b>this</b> is how I am building a practice. By returning to it, moving forward, keeping at it. It's not about doing it perfectly, especially not right out of the gate. It's about doing it and doing it again, and coming back to it over and over again. <i><b>I don't have to be perfect, and I don't have to keep up with the weekly schedule for this to be working and helping me build a creative practice! </b></i><br />
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My second big realization this week came because I jumped in on <a href="http://goinswriter.com/great-writers/">Jeff Goins' 15 Habits of Great Writers</a> challenge. On the third day, the activity was to get up two hours early to write. I read that, and I became argumentative, angry, agitated. I have done that get up early to write thing before, and it's been awful every time. My body clock doesn't adjust to it--I'm not a morning person, and I never have been, and I never will be. But in the past I really tried to follow all those programs that tell you that you can reset your body clock and so on. I've also done <a href="http://www.artistsway.com/">Julia Cameron's morning pages</a>. I just end up cranky, exhausted, usually end up sick because I'm run down from lack of sleep, and I start to resent my writing. I don't want to resent my writing! I want to love it.<br />
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And then came the breakthrough. I've done this part of the work already. I have given it a try to see what happens, and I know that getting up at 4:30 a.m. doesn't work for me. I don't need to do this again; I've done it already. I'm already enough of a writer to know that the early morning time slot doesn't help my writing, it hurts it. <i><b>I am a writer, and I know this about my own process!</b></i><br />
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So yeah, it's been a big week, and now I know three new things:<br />
<ol>
<li>I can write even when life is rough and I'm unmotivated and resistant.</li>
<li>Practice is built from perseverance, not perfection and sticking exactly to a schedule.</li>
<li>I am a writer, and I don't work well in the early morning; I work best in the afternoon and early evening.</li>
</ol>
This has been a really good week! <br />
<br />
Week 5: <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/And-So-It-Begins.pdf">And So It Begins</a>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-45364702113212001052012-06-06T21:50:00.005-07:002012-06-06T21:50:34.167-07:00Jumping Off Cliffs<span class="huge"><i><b>You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down. ~Ray Bradbury</b></i></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ip3dj9cK5kM/T9An8zdeOAI/AAAAAAAAAjM/9nA_cTad-Po/s1600/Coast+19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ip3dj9cK5kM/T9An8zdeOAI/AAAAAAAAAjM/9nA_cTad-Po/s320/Coast+19.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oregon Coast July, 2011</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="huge">Today is a day of endings. And beginnings. But the endings have left me weepy and ineffectual. I learned that Ray Bradbury, one of the biggest influences on my reading and writing life, died yesterday. Neil Gaiman speaks for all of us in this article, "<a href="http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jun/06/ray-bradbury-neil-gaiman-appreciation?cat=books&type=article">A Man Who Won't Forget Ray Bradbury</a>." He talks of Bradbury's influence on him as a child. Most of the writers and readers I know have similar stories about Mr. Bradbury. (Neil Gaiman wrote more about it in this post simply title "<a href="http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2012/06/ray-bradbury.html">Ray Bradbury</a>.")</span><br />
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<span class="huge">Today was also the last call of my <a href="http://www.kaizenmuse.com/programs/kmcc-training.html">Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching training</a>. More melancholy, but with the life of
excitement for what's to come mixed in. I'll write more about all of this soon, but I wanted to note it because it's an important milestone in my life.</span><br />
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<span class="huge">But right now, I want to write about Ray Bradbury and me. I guess this is my <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/wednesday-check-in-8/">ROW80 check-in</a>, too, because it is about my writing life. I don't have a story to share tonight. I'll finish my <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a> piece tomorrow. Tonight is for reminiscing.</span><br />
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<span class="huge">I don't remember when I first read a Ray Bradbury story. I know by the time I was in middle school I'd already read quite a lot of them. My favorite short stories were "All Summer in a Day" and "The Fog Horn." These are still my favorites, and they both still make me cry when I read them.</span><br />
<span class="huge">By the summer before eighth grade I also had a favorite Bradbury book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Something-Wicked-This-Way-Comes/dp/0380977273/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339043325&sr=8-1"><i>Something Wicked This Way Comes</i></a>. This book opened up worlds to me. I discovered that the title came from a line in a Shakespeare play. This prompted me to get my very first book of Shakespeare's work (I still have that pretty, brown leatherette volume) and read the whole thing that summer. I fell in love with even more words thanks to Mr. Bradbury.</span><br />
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<span class="huge">In high school, my mind was stretched even more. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fahrenheit-451-Novel-Ray-Bradbury/dp/1451673310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339044074&sr=1-1"><i>Fahrenheit 451</i></a>. Still horrifying when I reread it now, but that first time really changed my views of what things might be possible in the world. </span><br />
<span class="huge">Later, in my post graduate work, I took a class on short stories. Our thesis project for the class was to choose an author to immerse ourselves in for the semester. My pick? Ray Bradbury, of course. This led me to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Writing-Ray-Bradbury/dp/9995521008/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339043662&sr=1-2"><i>Zen in the Art of Writing</i></a>. I was already writing. This was the first time I started tentatively thinking of myself as a writer.</span><br />
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<span class="huge">All of this has affected who I am, how I think, how and what I write. Ray Bradbury changed the landscape of American literature and thinking. What an incredible presence in our lives. We were so lucky to have him. Goodbye, Mr. Bradbury, and thank you for the stories.</span>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-84982493752417460902012-06-03T23:01:00.002-07:002012-06-03T23:01:38.859-07:00Stumbling AlongIt's Sunday, so time for a <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/sunday-check-in-9/">ROW80 check-in</a>, but I don't have anything to report. These past few days have been full and at the same time sort of blank. Empty pages waiting to be filled.<br />
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I got so much done over the past few days, but none of it was ROW80 related. I've written my <a href="http://musecraftonline.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e97002befb718039dfff2b44d&id=fe92ccfc50">newsletter</a>, and created the sign-in and basic info pages for my first free teleconference, <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/?page_id=484">Midsummer's Muse</a>. I met with a friend I haven't seen in eight months, bought clothes and shoes for my vacation next month, did a lot of reading from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Right-Brain-Business-Plan-Creative/dp/1577319443/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338789175&sr=8-1"><i>The Right Brain Business Plan</i></a>. Oh yeah, and signed up to participate in Liz Lamoureux's <a href="http://www.lizlamoreux.com/inner-excavate-along/">Inner Excavate-along</a> because I keep wanting to delve into her beautiful book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Excavation-Exploring-Through-Photography/dp/B005B1A8I2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338789384&sr=8-1"><i>Inner Excavation</i></a>, and haven't yet managed to give myself the time and space.<br />
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I've been doing a lot, and I let my writing slide. But I'm not feeling bad about it. I <b>am</b> missing my story, though, so I think tomorrow is going to be a big writing day for me. And some homework, too, of course, but definitely a writing day. Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-478916987528810632012-05-30T16:50:00.000-07:002012-05-30T16:50:52.261-07:00LessonsWednesday! That's <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/wednesday-check-in-7/">ROW80 check-in</a> day (one of them) for those of you keeping score. And it's the day I post my <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a> piece each week (or at least the day I aim for).<br />
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This week's story has been filled with lessons. Lessons about getting stuck, writing myself into a corner, and pushing on to an ending even though I know there's a lot of stuff in the middle that doesn't hold up to scrutiny.<br />
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This is really good stuff! This is where I so often quit writing, so I never give myself the chance to finish up and then go back and edit and fix the problems. Weird as it may sound, I hope this happens again so I can really build a habit of <b><i>just finishing</i></b> without worrying about the details in the first draft. The fixing and polishing are supposed to come later. I know that, but I can never seem to live by that. This might be helping me learn it for real!<br />
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It seems a little weird, this lack of self-consciousness and anxiety about posting this story. This story, that just came to me yesterday, that was written down willy nilly with no idea what was happening in the middle. Is it because of all it's flaws that I can be so unworried about posting it? I don't know. I like this feeling of doing the work without the anxiety, though. This is how I want to feel about my writing--curious, happy, experimental (is that a feeling?). I like it. This is what I will aim for.<br />
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I will also aim for checking in on some blogs! I didn't get to any since Sunday for various reasons, and that part of the ROW80 challenge is really important, so I don't like slacking on it.<br />
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Before I get to this week's story, I have a little announcement. I think I've mentioned that I'm training to be a <a href="http://www.kaizenmuse.com/programs/kmcc-training.html">Kaizen-Muse (TM) Creativity Coach</a>. For the final part of my training, to get my certification, I need to find one person to be my client for a month. If you have creative dreams you're struggling with, this is your chance to get some help with it. You'll get four free coaching sessions with me; I'm already fully trained and just need to do these sessions with someone (and the paperwork that goes with them, of course!) for my certification. So who wants some coaching? If you're interested, leave me a comment or head over to <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/">my website</a> and use the contact form there.<br />
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Now, about that story...<br />
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Week 4: <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Sleeping-Your-Life-Away.pdf">Sleeping Your Life Away</a>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-70587444314164863932012-05-27T22:41:00.001-07:002012-05-27T22:41:37.110-07:00Just Passing Through<br />
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It's time for a <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/sunday-check-in-8/">ROW80 check-in</a>. I haven't done a lot of writing since Wednesday, although I've been doing a lot of in-my-head planning for this week's story, but I still feel like I have a lot to say. <br />
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It's been a very busy few days--homework, food shopping and cooking for a family gathering today, and then a day filled with pulling out old carpet and padding and laying down a new floor in my partner's mother's kitchen. The family went in on this together and did this for her for her birthday, and she was so excited! It was a fabulous thing to get to do for someone. Lot's of work, and we're all pretty wiped out, but it's so great to know we did this. Very satisfying work.<br />
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Anyhow, that writing thing. I'm feeling like I'm starting to see something deeper in this <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories </a>challenge. I am feeling like a writer again, my head full of story most of the time and words appearing regularly on the page. And that feels incredible and was the purpose of starting this challenge. But I am starting to see something more here, something akin to a spiritual practice. I can feel the work taking me past my ego into the now of writing. I can feel this leading me to learn so much about myself and my process. There is so much good happening here even when it is worrisome and stressful. This is going to be quite a trip.<br />
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Right now, though, I'm going to trip into bed. It seems manual labor is tiring! See you all later.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-74519328787547545842012-05-23T20:19:00.000-07:002012-05-23T20:19:02.344-07:00It's Electric!<a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/blog/">ROW80 check-in</a>: This week has been angsty for me. I don't know why. I've been uncomfortable, on edge, unfocused, and twitchy. For no reason that I can pinpoint, and that is frustrating, because if I don't know what this is about, how can I fix it?<br />
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I know some things are weighing on me. Maybe my edgy, prickly uneasiness is just a pile-up of lots of random things going on at once. Who knows.<br />
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I am having trouble--again--finishing my story for this week. I am worried that I've taken on too much with this <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a> challenge. I am tempted to back out, to change to something easier. A story a month, which is something a friend of mine did last year.<br />
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What am I going to do if I don't finish a story one week? It will probably happen. Do I put up the partially finished story and finish it out later? Does that count as a failure even though I did write something? How am I keeping score for myself with this?<br />
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I know one thing. I am writing and enjoying it. I love having a story going. But I also love working on different things, I love the switch each week. I am not yet willing to let go of this challenge. It's only the third week. I haven't been doing it long enough to break through my barriers of resistance and fear and overwhelm and unconfidence (it's a new word, do you like it? goes with "angsty" up above).<br />
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This week, I think my story will get posted tomorrow. Too many random things came up in the past few days. Coupled with my general anxiety at the moment, I need to give myself a day. So, there it is. There's a day.<br />
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Later: Apparently giving myself a day caused me to sit down and finish that story. My brain is funny like that. This story was interesting because it came from a poem I've heard at least a couple hundred times, especially the line "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep." (<a href="http://www.internal.org/Robert_Frost/Stopping_by_Woods_on_a_Snowy_Evening">Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."</a>) The other day, someone passed around a picture online with that quote, and the basics of this story popped into my head.<br />
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I don't feel like this story is one I'm going to flesh out. I kind of rushed the ending, too, but I got it down enough. This one was just one I wanted to get out. I think this story-a-week thing is teaching me how to bypass my ego and just focus on the words. I think I might like this, even when it's hard. I just need to remind myself not to get caught up in the fear and overwhelm.<br />
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Anyhow, here's the story, which was really kind of fun to play with. Not as fun as the one I have in mind for next week, though, so stay tuned!<br />
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Week 3: <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/The-Woods-are-Lovely.pdf">The Woods are Lovely</a>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-37221733443487988262012-05-20T19:57:00.002-07:002012-05-20T20:01:57.758-07:00Rolling AlongTime for the Sunday <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/sunday-check-in-7/">ROW80 check-in.</a> And I have lots to report--it's kind of exciting.<br />
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Since Wednesday:<br />
<ul>
<li>Read and commented on several ROW80 compatriots' blogs</li>
<li>Wrote an outline/synopsis of my <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a> piece for next week</li>
<li>Wrote the opening scene to this week's story</li>
<li>Did quite a bit of journaling and a couple of blog posts</li>
<li>Started writing the info pages for two upcoming projects for my coaching business</li>
</ul>
I'm feeling quite satisfied with this list. I'm feeling like I got a lot done, and I don't feel overwhelmed or like this pace will be hard to keep up. I proclaim this week a success! On to the next one.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-56987867795812516922012-05-19T12:32:00.000-07:002012-05-19T12:32:19.586-07:00New Undertaking, Old Desire<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creativity is my practice</td></tr>
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This week, I started <a href="http://www.lisasonora.com/%20creative-practice/">Lisa Sonora Beam's Creative + Practice course</a>. I'm so excited about this! As soon as I saw the e-mail about it, I knew I wanted to be in this class. The combination of creativity and a daily practice sends a little thrill of excitement through me. It is something I've been interested in and have wanted to start for a long time now, and I know it is something important for me. <br />
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Still I didn't think I would be able to be in the class right now, and then because of Lisa's kindness (thank you <b><i>so much</i></b>, Lisa!), I found myself in after all. I was so excited on Monday to receive that first e-mail. And then I stalled. The first week is a slow, gentle easing into a creative practice, and I still almost gave up. This is what I journaled about that yesterday:<br />
<br />
<i>Off to a late start this week. It’s been a busy week, but when isn’t
it? And I am often a slow starter, slow to settle into a new thing, sink
into it and let it surround me. And this is the point when I start
berating myself, telling myself that I’m any number of bad things—dumb,
stupid, lazy, etc.—and then this is where I give up. I decide I’m too
far behind, it wasn’t meant to be, this isn’t for me, I can’t do this…
But this time I see that this is just resistance. There is no truth in
any of this.</i><br />
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I <i>am </i>always slow to start things like this. I have to overcome my tendency toward inertia. And this time I was also fighting against some self-induced pressure, because I am in this class because of the kindness of it's creator. <i> </i>So of course that meansthat I have to be the best, most perfect, do everything on time and just right student ever, right? Oh, my brain does such mean things to me!<br />
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But this time I was able to recognize that all of these feelings of pressure and wanting to quit before I started were just natural fear and resistance, and these are normal parts of the creative process. So yesterday, I went ahead and read the rest of the first week's instructions and tiptoed into the work. <br />
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The hardest part was picking a time and place for my creative practice. I discovered that I really don't have much in the way of a daily routine. And I know better than to say I'm going to add anything to my mornings. I know that I might last a few days, but there will be a lot of grumpiness and resentment and no good work happening, and then I will stop. I am not a morning person. (No, this doesn't need to change--I don't ever see anyone trying to change morning people to night owls. Why is that?) Anyhow...I finally conceded that for me I need one time slot during the week and another for days off. On days off, my time slot is actually in the morning, but that's because I get to wake up on my own and don't have to rush to get out the door.<br />
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I have a lot of thoughts on creativity as a daily practice along the lines of yoga and meditation, but I'm going to save those for another post since this one is already long enough. I did come up with a list of questions for myself about this work, so I'm going to put them here in case they resonate with anyone else.<br />
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<b>My intention: I intend to practice mindful creativity every day. </b><br />
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My questions about this:<br />
<ul>
<li>What does this mean?</li>
<li>How will it look in my life?</li>
<li>how will I handle days when/if it doesn't happen?</li>
<li>Is this separate from my writing? Or is this something I will do as a prelude to my writing time (which isn't currently every day)? If so, does that affect the time slot I've chosen?</li>
</ul>
I'll probably answer some of these tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm off to actually get my day started (a little bragging: I already did my Creative + Practice work today!). <br />
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<br />Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-32232870744129670392012-05-16T12:59:00.000-07:002012-05-17T10:30:36.879-07:00Rhythm of the Pen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a bit of <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/midweek-check-in/">ROW80 check-in</a> and a lot of ruminating on my writing life.<br />
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I'm struggling a little bit this week. I'm trying to find my rhythm with writing a story a week, which is quite a different rhythm from writing five days a week on the same story. I found last week that after I finished my first story and posted it on Wednesday, I had a hard time jumping into a new story right away. So Thursday and Friday didn't see a lot of writing, although I did come up with the story idea I wanted to write for this week. (They did see some checking on other ROWers blogs, so that goal went well.)<br />
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Now, fairly early in the day, I am getting this post written in draft form so that later I can concentrate on finishing this week's story. But I'm not sure it's going to get done today, and I'm feeling really anxious about that and my decision to take on this challenge. It's longer than I thought it was going to be, and I got a late start on it, and I'm feeling wobbly about the whole thing.<br />
<br />
But just now as I was writing this, I realized that getting it done late can happen sometimes. Just because I don't get it done and posted on Wednesday doesn't mean that I'm just going to walk away from it and not finish. I can just finish it and post it late. It will still be done, at least, and that's the really important part (although this one is going to be an even rougher first draft than last week's story, I think). I may have to adjust the schedule now and then when things are hectic or a story is a little longer. But I don't have to give up just because I miss a deadline. Huh. How was that so hard to realize?<br />
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I'm still going to try to get the story finished, typed in, and posted today. But if I don't, I'll get it posted tomorrow. I can do that. It's my blog, I'm pretty sure I am allowed to do that. What a realization! So actually, I'm going to go ahead and post this check-in and then start typing in what I do have. Then, if all goes well, after my class this evening I'll finish it up and put it up in a second post.<br />
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Now that wasn't so hard, was it?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>EDIT 8:45 p.m.</b></span><br />
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Here's the link to this week's story for <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>:<br />
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Week 2: <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Synchronicity-or-Spirits-in-the-Material-World.pdf">Synchronicity or Spirits in the Material World</a> (with thanks to <a href="http://www.thepolice.com/">The Police</a> for the idea)Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-74757985148104257812012-05-13T17:22:00.001-07:002012-05-13T17:24:19.060-07:00Down by the Lazy RiverAnother lazy couple of days. It's time for a <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/sunday-check-in-6/">ROW80 check-i</a>n, and I'm nearly too lethargic to type.<br />
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I did check in on several of my ROW80 friends' blogs this time around. I've been writing a bit, some story work but also on some class work, so I'm not as far along on this week's <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a> piece as I thought I'd be.<br />
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Not a terrible week, but rather unfocused. Some of that is probably because the temperature shot up over the past couple of days. Sudden temperature shifts always seem to leave me a little fuzzy. I also got a new Samsung tablet, and I've been spending a little too much time fiddling with it, setting up apps and things, so pretty much everything else this week has gotten short shrift.<br />
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Tonight I will spend some quality time with my story notebook, and I will make a point to do the same tomorrow and Tuesday so I'm not frantically trying to finish a story on Wednesday.<br />
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See you at the next check-in!Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-41951167442678513962012-05-09T22:10:00.001-07:002012-05-10T16:32:24.756-07:00Oh BoyHere's my <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/wednesday-check-in-6/">ROW80 check-in</a>. And I'm linking to my first story for <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>. Gulp.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my brain on putting my worst, first draft work out in public</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I don't have anything else to report. I was totally freaked out and frozen with fear about putting my work out there. I struggled with this for several days, and it turned into a huge battle this afternoon when I though about backing out of this, but here I am.<br />
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This is the first time in over five years that I'm letting anyone read what I've written, and I've chosen to put it out there for the whole world to see. It's the first time in longer than that since I've finished a story, even a rough draft. I think that's enough of a check-in for this week. I'm going to go collapse now. See you Sunday!<br />
<br />
Please note: <br />
Because these are first drafts and therefore not meant to be good yet,
and because I am working on building my confidence, I have turned off
comments on my 52 Stories page. The stories will be in PDF format, so there
won't be any place for comments there. I am not at the point in my
writing life or with these stories where critique would be welcome or
useful, so that's why there are no comment spaces. <br />
<br />
Week 1: <a href="http://musecraftonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/This-Means-War.pdf">This Means War</a>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-35473184308719751162012-05-06T21:57:00.001-07:002012-05-06T21:57:38.132-07:00Lazy DaysMy <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/sunday-check-in-5/">ROW80 check-in</a> for today: Not much going on. And I'm okay with that. <br />
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The past couple of weeks have been especially busy, and I'm still getting over the sinus infection I had, plus this weekend we had a medieval faire to attend. So some downtime was sorely needed, so today was all about the lounging.<br />
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Still, I've done some writing. I have a story started for <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>. Actually I have two, with a couple of other ideas in the sidelines waiting their turns. I'll be posting my stories on Wednesdays since I started this craziness on a Wednesday, so you'll have to wait a couple more days for actual story.<br />
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I didn't do much on Twitter, but I did some so that goal is okay. I did a couple of blog check-ins, but I would have liked to do more. I may have to make myself some sort of calendar reminder about that. <br />
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That's really all I have to report right now. I want to go do a little work on my story before bed to see if I can get some more of those fun dream ideas I've been having lately. <br />
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See you Wednesday.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-1785023798626587032012-05-02T12:24:00.000-07:002012-05-02T12:26:08.518-07:00Back in BlackOh. I think that's supposed to be "back on track." I just love song lyric post titles, though! I'm wearing black pants. Does that count?<br />
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This past week, I've been feeling a lot like a spinning record (sinusitis and a plugged ear from said affliction). It doesn't help that as I'm writing this Dead or Alive's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJv5qLsLYoo">You Spin Me Round</a>" is playing. The lightheaded, fluffy feeling and bouts of dizziness (much decreased and less frequent, thank you) seem to be skewing my perceptions of the world right now.<br />
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This is supposed to be about writing, though, and my <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/wednesday-check-in-5/">ROW80 check-in</a>. Sunday I was still too sick to look at the computer long enough to write a post. Plus, my brain wasn't doing well with stringing thoughts together let alone writing them down. So...<br />
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I haven't done a lot of writing. A couple of days worth on the novel. A little time on Sunday with a notebook writing down an idea for a piece of flash fiction. And then <a href="http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=e97002befb718039dfff2b44d&id=480b32a567">a newsletter</a>. And then some of my ROW80 compatriots told me about this thing some people are doing, writing a story a week for a year. It's called <a href="http://www.riverarunsthroughit.com/2012/04/52-stories.html">52 Stories</a>, and it sent a thrill of excitement up my spine. Seriously.<br />
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You see, I started with short stories. First as a storyteller, making up stories in the lunch line as a small schoolgirl to keep myself and my friends entertained while we waited. And of course my dolls (yes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie">Barbie</a> included--I loved Barbie, so there!) had very exciting and elaborate lives. Barbie's boyfriend was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Joe">G.I. Joe</a>, and sometimes Ken, too. And they were spies. Except when they were vampires. And they often lived in a large mansion or a castle built out of jigsaw puzzle boxes and hardcover <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader%27s_Digest_Condensed_Books">Reader's Digest Condensed Books</a>. And then there were the elaborate stories I concocted and made the other neighborhood kids reenact with me. But I digress...<br />
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Short stories were where I started. And I know I can do them while I'm still feeling shaky about being able to finish a novel. And I really want to <b><i>finish</i></b> something. I want a challenge that I feel will be really challenging (a story a week will do that) but that I know I can do.<br />
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So I'm doing this.<br />
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I'm changing my goals slightly to accommodate my new love. Here's the new, improved Round 2 list:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Write</b> at least 15 minutes each weekday; weekends are optional--<span style="color: #990000;">this is staying the same, but the writing will be mostly working on short stories now. I will probably continue the discovery writing process for my novel idea, too, because the two kinds of writing are different and compatible. </span></li>
<li><b>Post</b> a story a week--<span style="color: #990000;">this is new and goes with the 52 Stories. I'm not sure if I'm going to post the stories here or set up a semi-private blog for them or what. There's that little, niggling voice that tells me if I publish them on my blog they will be unpublishable elsewhere. I don't know for sure that this is something I need to consider just now. What if I just write them for fun and to share with people just so I can start enjoying and improving my craft again? What if this set of stories isn't for publication but just for fun?</span></li>
<li><b>Participate</b> in the ROW80 Twitter discussions and use <a href="http://marla.typepad.com/the_relaxed_writer/2008/12/bookending-using-twitter-to-beat-procrastination-and-boost-your-writing-.html">bookending</a> techniques there to help me stay on task--<span style="color: #990000;">I'm still occasionally jumping in on Twitter and still would like to do more. I'm ditching the bookending. It just feels like one more thing to do, it doesn't seem to be adding anything to my writing, and it feels like an annoyance with no benefits.</span></li>
<li><b>Read and comment</b> on blogs each check-in, even if I only have time for one or two.--<span style="color: #990000;">Sticking with this; I didn't do any since last Wednesday because I've been sick, but I'll be back to it now.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: black;">There you have it. My first story is in the works. I'll let you all know what I decide about where I'm posting (ideas on that are <i><b>so very</b></i> welcome!) once I figure it out. See you later!</span> </span>Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-87450008175873348522012-04-25T14:36:00.000-07:002012-04-25T14:36:11.210-07:00Checks, No BalanceBusy. Very. Writing? What? No. Well, yes. But writing for class work and that sort of thing. The past five days (more?) my novel has languished.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1141272">I am <i>tired</i>!</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/wednesday-check-in-4/">ROW80 check-in</a>: I didn't check in on anyone's blog (sorry, you guys!) this time around. I didn't do anything on Twitter, either, other than sharing the link to my last post. I have been busy, and now I'm tired and overwhelmed. <br />
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Tonight after my class, I am taking some time to unwind. I have work to do, but I'm going to make it wait. I'm going to have a shower and then do a little writing, and then I'm going to read. A novel. Not anything related to my class or writing or any sort of non-fiction. <br />
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And tomorrow and Friday I'm going to give myself some time and go read some blogs!<br />
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See you all Sunday.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-18534609540763117242012-04-22T22:21:00.002-07:002012-04-22T22:21:25.688-07:00Did You Hear That?That's the sonic boom of my life flying by! <br />
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It's busy around here. And now it really is Sunday. Again. Time for a <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/sunday-check-in-3/">ROW80 check-in</a>. Time is going so fast right now, I think I feel my head spinning.<br />
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Not a lot to report this time around. I did a lot of writing this week, but most of it was for my class. And <a href="http://750words.com/">750words.com</a>, but that is for meditative mind clearing (very helpful--you should try it!). I did work on my novel this week, so that wasn't a bust. There just wasn't enough time or focus/energy to fit in five sessions, and for the next few weeks that may happen sometimes. I was deeply involved in class work, though, so I can't say I regret missing a couple of writing sessions.<br />
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I did check in on some blogs again, so that's good. I did a little bit on Twitter, so that's improving.<br />
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Overall, even though I didn't hit my goal of five fiction writing sessions, I'm feeling like this week was a win. I got so much good stuff done for my class, and I got so much clarity from the meditative writing that I'm feeling great. I'm feeling really upbeat about my writing and my coaching work and about living the life I really want. It was a really good week, and I'm sticking with that! <br />
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<br />Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-67947405298439541112012-04-18T12:08:00.000-07:002012-04-18T12:08:19.461-07:00Wasn't It Just Sunday?Once again, time got away from me. It's such a slippery little devil! So hard to hold on to.<br />
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So here it is, Wednesday again. Time for a <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/wednesday-check-in-3/">ROW80</a> check-in.<br />
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<b>Writing</b>--pretty good. I wrote Monday. I did not write Sunday because I was getting over that migraine, and yesterday I had a lot of class work to do. The good news is that my small steps and no worries plan is taking hold, because I'm not feeling frantic and pressured or like I need to do a massive writing session to catch up. I know I will have time to write this evening, and I'm looking forward to that because I woke up with some new ideas again, so I'm happy with how this is progressing. I have added in doing morning (ish) pages this week as a meditative experiment. I've been using <a href="http://750words.com/">750words.com</a>, and I am feeling like that is helping me keep my calm attitude and belief that a non-writing day doesn't mean I've failed. The brain dump is good!<br />
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<b>Twitter</b>--Still a mixed bag there. I have participated a little. It's really a matter of remembering that I mean to do it. Not sure how to get myself to remember to tweet more.<br />
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<b>Blog commenting</b>--I did a <i><b>great</b></i> job on this! I commented on several blogs, followed a few links to read other articles, and let myself enjoy it instead of feeling like I had to hurry up and read more blogs or hurry up and finish so I could go do things I "should" be doing. A definite success here.<br />
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My plan for the rest of the week: writing tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. And either Friday or Sunday (or both) depending on how my schedule works itself out.<br />
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See you at the next check-in!Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-24517038623115779432012-04-15T22:18:00.001-07:002012-04-15T22:18:45.208-07:00Sunday--Sunny and IntrospectiveWith a chance of writing...<br />
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It's <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/sunday-check-in-2/">ROW80 check-in</a> day. Two weeks in, and I'm feeling pretty good about this round. I feel like I am learning again the pleasure of playing with words and story ideas and not worrying about finishing by a certain date. I am learning to enjoy the process, and I think that will make me a happier writer, which will probably help me actually finish a story.<br />
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So, the details. <br />
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Writing: I wrote four times this week. I may get in a bit of writing tonight still, but I'm recovering from a migraine so I'm pretty tired and may just go to sleep early. Based on how these first two weeks have gone, I'm going to change my writing goal. Instead of writing on weekdays with weekends optional, I'm going to set my goal as writing at least five days a week.<br />
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<br />Twitter: I remembered to do the bookending, but I didn't do much chatting and participating this week. For the coming week, I might set myself some reminders.<br />
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Blog reading: I only read and commented on two blogs this time. I was really busy with class work and also really didn't use my time well the past few days.<br />
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So, not too bad this time, but I'm looking for a more focused week coming up.Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20442270.post-74245858868089119952012-04-11T13:01:00.000-07:002012-04-11T13:01:03.089-07:00Gone Surfing!Okay, not really. But inside my head, I'm someplace warm and sunny, with blue water, beaches, and surfers. Of course, in my head it's also July, because it's 58 degrees in Santa Monica right now, but it's my fantasy, right?<br />
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While I'm waiting for the weather to warm up, here's a <a href="http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/wednesday-check-in-2/">ROW80 check-in</a>.<br />
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My goals:<br />
<ul>
<li>Write at least 15 minutes each weekday; weekends are optional</li>
<li>Participate in the ROW80 Twitter discussions and use <a href="http://marla.typepad.com/the_relaxed_writer/2008/12/bookending-using-twitter-to-beat-procrastination-and-boost-your-writing-.html">bookending</a> techniques there to help me stay on task</li>
<li>Read and comment on blogs each check-in, even if I only have time for one or two.</li>
</ul>
I wrote Sunday night and Monday. Last night I was tired after a lot of work for my coaching class, and my ongoing headache really kicked up, so I chose to go to bed a little early and didn't write. And I feel fine about that. I'm itching to get back to it, though, so I already told my boyfriend that tonight is freezer food night (when we raid the freezer and pantry for whatever we feel like scrounging together to eat). I'm going to have a nice, long chunk of time to pile up pillows, cover my feet in warm blankies, and just write as much as I want!<br />
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I have been so-so on the Twitter and bookending. I did participate in the Throwback Party on Twitter last Wednesday, and I've posted a few times, but I keep forgetting that I mean to do the bookending. I want to push for that a little more in case, down the road, I'm struggling to get to my writing. Having the habit of checking in where people will be watching will be very useful then.<br />
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I have read and commented on several blogs, so that's all good.<br />
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That's about it. I'm going back to my California dreaming now until it's time for class in a few hours. See you later!Kim Switzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08248311322811949516noreply@blogger.com3