I’m getting myself back on the blogging train after a couple weeks of off-line activity (marathon, NESCBWI, life with a dog), so today feels like a great time to share this fantastic comic by Debbie Ridpath Ohi:
It’s really easy to focus on all the scary “what ifs” and “you can’ts” and so on, but for today, let’s focus on what we can do. And then do the same tomorrow.
(PS–Debbie regularly posts writing inspiration illustration, so make sure to check out the rest of her work.)
I’ve been listening to the audiobook of The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (my first Discworld book), and this quote felt particularly relevant to me:
Keep speaking up.
It’s been a weird time for me as a writer. I’m at the beginning of a new project, but I’m having a really hard time getting going. It seems like everything that’s going on post-election is so much more significant than stories, and I’m doing a lot of soul-searching about what I want my writing and my career to be. It’s even been hard to focus on reading fiction, so I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction (mostly about running, in preparation for my 2017 Boston Marathon with the Dana-Farber team).
The running theme has also extended to podcasts, including this episode of Human Race from Runner’s World. I went into the episode thinking it was about an 85-year-old woman who’s still running marathons, which is impressive on its own. But then I found myself practically crying in my kitchen as I listened to Sylvia Weiner’s story of surviving three concentration camps in the Holocaust and learning to run to combat PTSD. This is a powerful story and an incredible woman.
One quote in particular stuck with me, when the interviewer asked Sylvia if she had any advice for her:
“If you’re tired, if you’re really tired, okay, you’re allowed to take a rest…but don’t stop. If you have it in your mind, you won’t stop.”
Sylvia has survived so much more than I can imagine, and she still manages to run everyday, make people laugh, and share her story. Sometimes things can really suck. Sometimes you might have to take a break. But if Sylvia can keep going, we can keep going.
You can read more about Sylvia here, and I highly recommend listening to the whole Human Race episode about her. And don’t stop.
A friend of mine shared this quote recently and, with all the summer Olympics excitement, I feel like it’s a good one to stare today. Keep fighting, writers.
Image adapted from ocean by julieta pracana