Writing Sick

Do you write when you’re under the weather?

I generally go about my day if I’m not terribly sick. However, stomach bugs and harsh maladies keep me off the keyboard. I might take those days to contemplate my writing. Sometimes a poem emerges, but, honestly, if I’m very ill my doing things is at a ruminating lull.

Some writers will tell you never to stop, never to rest your pen, especially if you have a quiet moment. I disagree. Silence, sometimes, is the medicine. Letting your brain and body rest can be just what your plots and characters need. Going back to the written word after recuperating can bring fresh air, and don’t we all need that sometimes.

Journaling

Journaling

Break from Breaks

It’s hard for me to keep a routine. I know I’m not alone, but I also know so many other people live for their routines. Sometimes taking things out of my life feels necessary, but other times it might be unhealthy. How can you tell?

Learning to analyze your choices can be a lot like analyzing your writing, or any art form. One deleted line, one covered-up brush stroke, might be exactly what your piece needed. Let’s take my diet choices as an example. I decided to stop buying donuts. They were starting to replace my healthier breakfasts, so I took donuts off my grocery order and put oats there instead. It was a healthy choice, a wise delete, if you will. There are some things that should not be changed. Sometimes, my choices put me in a spot where I need to add something back in, and hopefully I know exactly what it is.

Writing this blog is one of the things I constantly find I need to add back in. When I write, I like to write fiction or poetry. I can see and feel my own progress toward a dream. It feels like walking down a warm, sunny path knowing my dream home is waiting just over the hill. What a great feeling. Writing a blog is different for me. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a solid stepping stone on my path. Having a professional blog is the most important form of social media for a writer. It’s not a good idea to skip over it.

Like so many other things in life, it’s important not to leave out essentials. I can’t eat donuts every day and expect a good health report from my doctor. I can’t avoid doctors appointments and expect to avoid health problems. In the same way, it’s important to make healthy choices as an entrepreneur, an artist, or a writer. Writing a blog and keeping up with important posts, not just pictures, is the equivalent of taking my vitamins and exercising. If I want to reach my goals of being a published author, I need to keep adding this blog back into my routine until I no longer leave it out of my weekly writer’s diet. That is also my advice to you, fellow artists and entrepreneurs. Treat your blog like a healthy diet. It’s that important.