Oohs and Aahs for 2.16.24

Finishing things, belly paintings, and new crayons

I used to feel competent in daily life. I knew my limits. I wasn’t good at sports, and I wasn’t trying to become a professional singer, but I was confident I could make money, get dressed, tidy the house, and run a meeting.

Motherhood has fractured my time and left my energy and attention impossibly splintered. So many of the simplest tasks take monumental patience. Getting us in the car and buckled to drive down the street to the library can feel impossible. Snow days and sick days mean progress on client work is incremental. Sometimes just being able to wash the dishes without being interrupted feels like a treat. It’s hard on my nervous system and on my confidence.

During this intense season of life, one of the best things I’ve done for my mental health is focusing on finishing personal projects.

Finishing a project gives me a sense of accomplishment. It helps me see myself not just as a writer, but also as someone who can still make a plan and execute it. Of course, I want to publish what I write, but that is very much out of my control. I don’t want that goal to overshadow the satisfaction that comes from working toward a finished project and figuring things out along the way. Every piece I finish may not be publish-ready or even publishable at all. But every time I finish a piece, I learn something new about my process or my aesthetic, and I grow as a writer.

Want help finishing your project?

Or get more accountability and support with a coaching session…

I would love to help you finish your book!

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This Week I’m…

• Wishing I could go see this exhibit

• Reading this New Yorker article on the controversy surrounding ABA (A decent primer to a very complex topic, the last sentence alludes to how much more there is to discuss on this.)

• Writing about exoplanets and resisting the urge to spend all day nerding out on this site

• Window shopping in this juicy art-materials thread (What are you eyeing?)

• Intrigued by this writing retreat for moms

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PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert.

My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard.