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On this blog, I write about science. I’m a big believer in science and in science’s ability to make our lives better. But I also believe in fairies. There is, after all, a magical fairy person who flutters around me all the time. She’s my muse, and it’s her job to put words into my head.
But recently, my muse put some very strange words in my head, words I would not have expected from her. What did she say? She told me I don’t have to keep doing this writing stuff if I don’t want to.
Here’s the thing: I’ve been very, very stressed out about writing these last few weeks. Those of us who want to write professionally are told over and over again to treat writing like a job. And that’s good advice. You should treat writing like a job if you expect to ever make money off it.
But I have treated writing so much like a job that it’s stopped being fun. It’s just part of my daily grind now. That’s clearly not what my muse intended for me, nor is it what I intended for myself.
This post makes it sound like I’m about to quit writing. Don’t worry. That’s not what’s happening. But I do need to remember that writing is supposed to be fun, and I need to reconnect with the reason why I wanted to start writing in the first place.
To that end, I’ve decided to take a little break from blogging. I’ve given myself an extra special project to work on this month, something that should get me back into the swing of things. When we meet again for September’s I.S.W.G. post, I will (hopefully) be able to tell you more!
Planet Pailly 
I think breaks are a healthy thing to do. Hope yours is a good one.
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Thank you, I’m sure it will be.
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See you soon – have fun!
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Thanks, I will!
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I’ll miss you, but self-care trumps everything. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
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Aww, thank you! And you’re right. Self-care is very important. We creative folks can sometimes forget how important it really is.
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I’m guessing that when people want to write professionally, they feel they need to put an inordinate amount of time into it, like people working a “normal” job over 40 hours a week. Just like a normal job, time doesn’t directly translate to quality. Perhaps it’s more about discipline and proper timeboxing of your writing, so that you are not overdoing but at the same time not neglecting it as you could a hobby.
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I’ve certainly felt that need. I still work part-time at a “normal” job, so my attitude has been that my job plus my writing and art should add up to 40 hours a week. But you’re right, more time does not always mean higher quality.
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No, no, Peter Pan cannot quit writing, lol. That is what I thought when you spoke about fairies fluttering around. I hope you find the fun again. I know what you mean and need to work on that myself. Happy IWSG day.
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It seems to be a pretty common problem for creative types. And yeah, the way I think about muses may have been inspired a little bit by Tinker Bell.
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Go with the flow; that’s what I say, tritely.
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Wise words, my friend.
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Enjoy your break! I think treating my writing like a job would absolutely ruin it. Hope you have fun with your special project. 🙂
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Thanks! It’s been pretty fun so far… just what I needed!
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Have fun with the new project!
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Thanks! I didn’t get quite as far with it in August as I’d hoped, but really that’s just how writing goes. Everything takes longer than you’d planned.
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