I’m on day seventeen of the Summer of 2017 Finish My Novel marathon and our next door neighbour decided yesterday that he or she needed to start their own marathon.
Of jackhammering.
This put an end to my quiet working time on the back deck.
It even almost triggered me towards an Internet binge session of hunting for furniture for our new house on Kijiji.
But I resisted.
I remembered my training as a creativity coach and how important it is to learn to create “in the middle of things.”
I kept going.
This has been the summer when I think I’ve really learned this lesson.
Scratch that: it’s been the year of putting this lesson into practice.
Despite overwhelming grief, selling our house, moving, buying a new place, I’ve written.
Despite a heat wave, being in a rental house crammed with still-packed boxes, and another impending move, I’ve written.
Because this is how it’s got to happen, isn’t it? What’s that Stephen King quote? “Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.”
Life usually gets in the way.
Cue jackhammering.
Cue the arrival of a friend’s dog for the weekend so we now have two crazy animals running around.
But what are the options?
Be distracted; give up.
Or stay committed.
Carve out a calm moment. Carry on…
