It has been 5 months since I last saw my husband. Airport closures have prevented me from returning home to Panama. I’ve rebooked my ticket so many times, I don’t get my hopes up anymore.
I thought this would be a source (albeit, a negative one) of creative energy. Instead it has been a block. What little I have written is shallow and empty of meaning. My heart is not in it.
Luckily, I have broken the seal on the rewrite of an old, beloved project I had been avoiding. This has brought me some joy.
But we are all going through a very weird time now. Even if we’re not watching the news or consciously thinking about what is happening all day, it’s affecting us.
Add into the mix our personal issues, emotional residue, and just generalized anxiety about the future. Sometimes you just want to hug a pillow all day.
We may not have the capacity to be as creative and productive as usual. But we are not machines and we need to slow down and listen to what we need emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Give yourself some time and space to purge, process, and heal. When you are ready, you will feel it. Then you can get back to the journey onward.
We are all writing our way home to ourselves.
Are you experiencing writer’s block during COVD?
How are you managing it?
Dang girl! I had no idea you were stuck in the U.S. I haven’t been reading many blogs during the shutdown. Or emails. I’m so sorry that you’re having trouble. You are an amazing writer and I know that you will find your strength to push through this craziness. Stay focused on your goals, even when you’re not motivated, and you will reach them.
In the meantime, I’ll keep you and your family, your hubby, the doggos, and birdies in my prayers.
I have been keeping busy with some much-needed home improvements, taking online classes on writing, and learning how to write screenplays. Haven’t worked on a novel in about a year. My hubby is working from home these days so our bedroom is half office.
My biggest issue throughout this whole mess has surfaced in the form of insomnia. I could count on one hand the nights of “good” sleep (good= 5 hours in a row) I’ve had since my Dad died in mid-January. Lung Cancer. That was tough. The shutdown felt like an afterthought, at first. But it all catches up with us, doesn’t it? I try to focus on the positives by mainly staying away from the circus they call social media and listening to uplifting music. I have consumed a TON of books (thank God for Kindle Unlimited!) and Crime Junkie Podcasts.
Creatively, I am alright. The ideas keep coming even if they aren’t related to what I am working on. I’ve been blogging about some of the things that keep me up at night. I suppose I could talk to my DR and take a pill, but I’ve never really been a person who takes prescriptions unless it’s an antibiotic. I take a fist-full of vitamins every morning in efforts to avoid them.
Loved your post, girl! Let’s catch-up soon.
Thank you, Amy! I’m so thrilled to hear from you. I’ve sent you an email!