The long and short ...

So … it’s been a super-hot minute since I posted anything here on ‘Anythingz’, not because of a lack of things to write about, stories swimming around in my head or the desire to put words on the page … I took a little time off for myself.

I find my mind gets a little crowded with thoughts and the last few months haven’t been superb hence the reason behind posting only Indie Ink posts on the blog and nothing alluding to my state of mind or the way I feel.

As much as I love this whole ‘sharing my feelings stuff’ and letting people know the intricacies of my life whilst tying it all up in a pretty bow of smart-Alec quips and kitsch one-liners that make me sound almost too cool to be a real live normal person – I thought; hey, let me just not do any of that!

This resulted in a couple of concerned people enquiring if I was okay, you know who you are and I love you all, but I needed to break loose from everything, even writing: GASP! Yes, the thing that I love unconditionally, the thing that I know I stand the least chance of getting injured whilst doing (cue an imaginary basketball rolling past me as I typed that last sentence) – A break; and it felt quite refreshing. No Indie Ink deadline, no thinking outside the box on a writing prompt in some kind of crazy attempt to impress absolutely everyone as though people expect me to write the next great English novel in 1000 words or less! No friends asking for notes on Facebook that flat out refuse to write due to a total lack of interest in promoting my work there …

Nooope …

I simply read my ass off.

Other than the act of writing, what makes a writer able to write well is being able to read as much if not more than you put pen to paper/fingers to keys. Reading makes the writing easier and I was trying too hard to write and should have been reading in a happy non-sexual orgy of words and ideas.

You could say I hit a rut, had writers block, couldn’t cut it momentarily – in all honesty I just needed to shrug everything off and stick a cork in the entire situation until I felt ready to return. There’s nothing more soul crushing than having the desire to do something, throw yourself into it only to realise you’re so close to it you have absolutely no perspective. That’s where I was basically, floundering with good intentions.

The healing part of this true-to-life mini story involved help from various people, some without their knowledge, but for the most part I have a pool of people I can turn to in a time of need, and although I’m not always specific in what I need help with, they seem ever read and capable to assist.

So, what now?

If you were paying attention I said I’m READING, and not just fiction. I’m reading other blogs, newspapers, online magazines, status updates, road signs, bus time-tables, ingredients on food packaging, small print on contracts, safety warnings on flammable substance, clouds, palms – you get the drift? Cool – ALL THAT AND THEN SOME!

Call me crazy, call it unnecessary, but you’d be surprised at the ideas you can generate from all the above as well as anything else I neglected to mention for fear of sounding extremely weird.

*sigh (for dramatic effect)

I think I’m done here for now, ciao! Xx