I have a confession to make. Nine times out of ten I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to write about in these posts until I actually sit down to write them. It's not that I don't have any ideas — my head is full of ideas — I just can't seem to pinpoint one ahead of time. I think I know what I want to write about and then something happens, like I watch a leaf fall, and then my initial idea is shot and I need to write about leaves. Or squirrels. Or pickles. You get my drift. I shoot from the hip and write what comes into my head at that very moment. If you've been following me, I'm sure this is evident.
Another confession: I'm usually pulling in late to the finish line. I schedule the posts to go live at 9 am on Sunday mornings, and there are some weeks where it's 11:30 on Saturday night and I'm still finishing up. Granted, I need to get better with this because there's going to be some Saturday where something happens and I don't get it done in time. Not that too many people would care — it's only a blog post — but I made a commitment to do this every week and it's important for me to keep that commitment to myself and to you.
And now that my other projects have finished up, I'm ready and excited to start devoting a tonne of hours to my writing and creative work. I have so many things planned and so many ideas I'd love to see come to fruition. I know I won't get to all of them, but I'm certainly going to give it a go!
I'm an autumn girl. Summer is okay, but there is nothing I love more than sitting by a bonfire on a crisp afternoon — which is exactly what I'm doing right now. The more I have to bundle up, the better. Wear a toque? Absolutely. There's just something that happens to me when the air changes. I feel renewed. I'm energized. Not to go run a marathon or anything — because that's just silly — but energized in a very soulful and spiritual way.
The truth is, it's real for me. There's something about fall that just moves my soul and whips my butt into shape. I've never been a summer writer. I mean, yes, I've written in the summer, but it's been because I've had to — I've had deadlines or I've been finishing something up. I've never started a writing project in the summer. Even my epic novel 'The Rabbit Family' was written in the dead of winter. It's just not the most creative or inspiring time for me.
Now all of this might seem meaningless to you, as it should — because it's utter nonsense. I mean, a writer should be able to write at any time, right? As creatives or people in general, do we have peak seasons? Research suggests this is true on a daily basis — some people are more creative in the mornings (definitely not me) and some are better at night (definitely me) — but I haven't seen any definitive scientific research on the subject as it pertains to seasons.
Either way, I know that when fall rolls around, I'll be in prime creative mode. Maybe it's because there's just so much to see in fall and every day is different. My brain is constantly stimulated. The leaves change colour, the shadows hang a little wider and deeper, and the wind in the trees just seems to speak a little stronger and a little clearer, like the leaves know they won't be dancing for much longer.
School is back in, work is in full swing, everyone is busy — yet I find such peace and tranquility in this time. For me, life becomes simple. Stripped down. And the bounties of the harvest bring me back to a time when things were uncomplicated — the times I spent peeling apples with my mom and filling the freezer for an endless supply of homemade applesauce and pies.
I think more than anything, fall is a time of Thanksgiving, and boy do I have so much to be thankful for. I am blessed beyond words and I am grateful for everyone and everything in my life. It hasn't always been easy, but no one ever said it would be. It's what we make of it, each and every day, each and every season.
The point is — and I always do have a point — we can't expect ourselves to run on full steam all the time. It's just impossible. So if you have times when you are more productive than others, that's okay. If there are times you need to step back and rest, that's okay. If you're feeling energetic and inspired, then let it rip! Go for it! Let that creativity out for a good long run.
I think one of the things that kept me from blogging for so long was the apparent 'rules.' If you do any research on the topic you'll know what I mean — only write about one topic, have your content organized months in advance, make each post relatively the same length. I have no idea how people can only write about one thing every time. I get the ideology behind it, but there's no way I can follow that, and I think a lot of other writers and potential bloggers feel the same way.
Well, my opinion on the matter? Screw the rules! Write what you want! Do what you want! Go against the norms. Nothing new was ever created or accomplished by people following the rules. Now I'm not advocating that you go and do something that gets your ass in jail — all I'm saying is that what's good for the goose is NOT always good for the gander, and you should make your own way in life.
Like the leaves on a tree, we don't all last forever. The time will come when we slowly break away from the pack and fall gently to the ground. But until that happens, embrace your fall colours! Embrace your beautiful moment in the sun. Right now, this beautiful season of colours and apples and crisp air and afternoon fires and flannel pyjamas is my time, and I'm sure as heck going to make the best of it.
Talk to you next week — the fire needs another log and the chipmunks are giving me death stares because they're out of peanuts.