With Purpose I Write

On a more open and cheerful note (cheerful? not cheerful, actually much more sober and healthy) I am making good progress again with my novel. After deciding to write in  a setting much less science-fictiony, I had some lost time working out the details of the change. I have transcribed the first draft of the first chapter onto the computer; since it had to be redrafted, I decided to type it in. I’m working on the second chapter now, which is a bit more difficult to make the change, but today – as I was contemplating my personal place in life and my purpose for writing – I made a dramatic mental leap into my new setting. It was very exciting and is leading me to take a bolder stance on my message.

Christmas is just around the corner of next week and I’m a bit blown away that the year is so nearly over. I never seem to get as much done as I would like to, but this year was worse. Partly because we worked much later for Ursula than we imagined we would (which was really good for the bank account and getting through this month with all of our extra expenses), and then we had a flood of pottery orders that has kept us busy well beyond what we normally work in the studio catching up for the year.

So, I haven’t started on working with our new glazes, haven’t started new projects and designs and forms, and haven’t started on the pottery articles I want to write this winter. But how can I complain when it works well for our bank account? Well, because I’m ready to move on into the future I keep seeing at a distance no matter how much deeper I get into the calendar.

My number one goal, though is the novel; and since I am making good progress on that, I feel soothed and filled with holiday joy.

Outside the snow is glistening on the ground, stars are glittering in the sky, a coyote is singing, and in a few days we’ll be celebrating the solstice, when the earth will once again turn it’s course to bring us an increase in light each day.

Beauty, peacefulness, and joy all available in abundance if we just strive for it. And if we don’t do it, who will?