It feels like an age since I blogged last, but I console myself with the fact that in the past I have been gone for far longer periods of time. I would like to say it has been time well spent. At some points it has been, at others, not so much.
The truth is that I have gone through periods of illness linked to my mental and physical health. I have had times where my imagination has pulled a blank on conjuring up much of any use at all. What has kept me going is knowing that (apart from the physical health issues) eventually I will come out the other side. I keep going, because that is what I am programmed to do. When I have the state of mind that allows it, I will bury myself in books, courses, writing, and drag myself away from my overthinking and anxiety.
That is where I have been the last couple of months: learning, writing, spending time with those I am closest to, and trying hard to claw myself into a mindset where I can actually function again as a writer. Gradually, I’m getting there.
Strangely, the defining moment came from the place I least expected it to. I am (usually) not brilliant with tech. I’m okay once I have the knowledge, but actually learning the things I need to know from a tech perspective is not a comfortable experience for me. However, this past weekend I have been putting together my website. It is something I needed to do to pull everything together. It’s basic at the moment, but something that I am proud of. I realise that, over time, it will evolve and that’s fine. I think that the process was made easier because a website requires a certain level of creativity. Also it was easy because Wix.com made it that way. I made the decision to customise my site myself when I could have chosen a less complicated option, but it was a joy to navigate, and something great happened whilst I was doing this.
So what happened? Well, it transpired that being so involved in creating my web-baby stoked the dying embers of my imagination. Adding media, setting up links and customising backgrounds and colours breathed life back into the story that had started to fade from my mind. Immersing myself in all things ‘Raising Hell’ revitalised my hunger to write more notes for ‘Earthbound’ (the second book in the ‘Raising Hell’ series) and this week I will be continuing on from where I left off.
This week will be the week that I manage to begin again, and catch up on the many things that have been put to one side. I’m not sad about that, at all. It’s hard to enjoy life when your life is writing, but you aren’t. Having a mind on lockdown during an actual lockdown is no fun. Now that our freedom is about to be slowly reinstated during this weird year, it’s time to release my mind once more.
I hope that you are all staying safe and well.
Until next time…
T.F. Webb 