Balance

Thursday mornings means ballet fusion at the Y. Not even a stomach bug, potty training, or an injured foot can keep me from going. The odds are fifty/fifty that I will make it to any other scheduled event that I consider. And my plans to do the laundry while Little Man sleeps, well, you can see how that is going.

Ballet fusion means taking an hour for me. It is a time to remember that my health and well being matters too. It is a time to move, to stretch my tired back and remember that I am capable. I am capable of tenacity. I am capable of keeping a beat (for the most part), and I am capable of balance.

I step into Studio A and take a sip of water. I take my place and begin to bounce on my toes in excitement. The first lesson that ballet fusion has taught me is the importance of the warm-up. Stretch, breathe, bend, and return. Repeat. Relax. Ground yourself in the music and the movement. I realized today that this is something I should apply elsewhere in my life. I am enjoying writing and I am utterly excited about the epic, three-book novel with complex characters and themes that I want to pen, but first I must warm up. I must remember how to dance. Just as I must remind my body how to move like a dancer, I need to remind my mind how to think like a writer.

The beat picks up. We are moving in tighter, quicker motions and adding complexity step by step. "Point your toe. And back. Ok, now point, lift, and back. Now lift your arms. Good. Don't forget to engage your core." Oh yes, my core! I tighten my abdomen, the muscles that forgot they have a part to play. I wobble less. I tighten more. There, that feels right. I am steady. I am ready to arabesque and fondu. With my core tight, I coordinate my hands and my feet with ease. Wow, I almost look graceful!

As a family, when we remember our core, that is to say, when we are mindful, we all thrive. Affectionate engagement, awareness and support of each other, and patience help us to all feel more grounded. We are able to focus on our limbs, our coordination of movement, our daily rhythms.

Keeping the core engaged in the studio or at home is hard work but the payoff is immense. I am far less likely to fall over in Studio A and far less likely to snap at my family when the routine gets complicated. By knowing where I stand and being mindful that each movement contributes to the possibility of the next, I achieve what I set out to do with minimal strain.

Little Man and I both look forward to Thursday mornings at the Y. He gets to play with other children; I get to play with other adults; and afterwards we share a stack of pancakes for lunch. It makes us both happy and washes away the stressors the build up as the week goes by. We are both learning how to co-exist and that takes patience. Together our little family of three picks it up, step by step, watching each other's movements to catch up when we fall behind.

What's in your toolbox?

Would a contractor ever try to build a house without a hammer? Or a painter ever try to paint without a canvas? Well, ok, painters are an odd sort. Just ask my mother.

My point, you ask? The point of a pen. I prefer felt-tipped. I now have 8 felt tipped pens stashed in my purse, on my desk, in the diaper bag, and near my bed. I love that so little pressure needs to be applied. I'm a scrawny little thing with weak wrists and the fingers of an eighty year old. Good tools are important, but I digress.

I have spent the past several weeks gathering tools for my writing. Some physical, like the pen, some digital, like this blog, and some paperback, like Betsy Lerner's The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Guide to Writers. Pulling together a toolbox has helped me feel like a legitimate writer. It has been an easy and stress free place to start. It has been doubly rewarding thanks to my husband. My birthday recently came and went. He bought me two books about writing, a gorgeous journal with a blue cover, and more felt tip pens. I found out later that he originally bought ball-point and returned them after hearing me say how much I enjoy felt-tipped. These are sweet treats, great tools to add to my collection. More than that, they are physical proof of the generous support my amazing husband is providing me. Thank you, Wesley!

Here is a list of my favorite digital and non-digital writing implements:

First, the digital:

1. Hardware- Mac desktop and iPad. We are an all-in Mac family.

2. Google Drive- The instant save and research features are amazing!

3. Blogger- How else am I going to meet you lovely people and stay accountable?

4. Twitter- @erynwrites is where you can find me. I will follow you back!

5. Evernote- I've just started using this. I will let you know how it goes.

6. Voice recorder on the iPhone for the spontaneous eruption of  inspired moments


Non-digital

1. Cheap spiral notebooks in various sizes- I love how I feel free to brainstorm on these pages and not so obligated to write something worth reading as I would with a fancy notebook.

2. Felt-tipped pens.

3. A journal- The aforementioned gift in blue.


Newly Obtained Books-

1. The Forest for the Trees- The first writing book I bought.

2. The Tiger's Wife- Why can't I get into this book?

3. The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith- Isn't there a bit of memoir in all writing?

4. Tell It Slant by Brenda Miller- I can't wait to start this one.

5. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak

6. Several by my favorite author Margaret Atwood. I want to be her when I grow up.

What are your favorite tools of the trade? What is your creative outlet? Please share in the comments, I love hearing from you!

A reinvention

When I decided to pick up writing again, I immediately created a blog. Of course I did. It's what you do. I posted four articles in fairly quick succession and did not return for weeks.  If you are reading this, you probably keep a blog that you hope I will read in return. (Hint: put a link in the comments and I will check it out).

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I realized after not posting for a few weeks that the key is to remember the old adage: slow and steady wins the race. I have a tendency to burn through inspirations, motivation, and bursts of creative energy with the fury of a wildfire- leaving a trail of burned-out projects and hollow promises. I am determined to do better this time. Writing is what I must do. It is what I must perfect. It is what I must keep doing.

I will post snippets of creative writing endeavors and flash fiction attempts. I will write about how I manage- and do not manage- to balance being a stay at home mom with my dreams of being a legitimate author. I will also interesting articles and posts from across the web (like this one) to you, who may be holding the same hopes of being a Writer that I do.

Family life will be present, usually in the form of short stories based on my 2 year old son's antics and our attempts to raise him to be a happy, healthy, likable person.  I will not be posting pinterest-esque projects here. I don't do them. So no worries there.

I am most excited to have once-a-month contests where I write a piece of flash-fiction from the best opening line submitted by my readers.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you. May we find encouragement,  humor, and wisdom together. Again, send me your blog info and I will add you to my reading list!


*Rupert, aka Baby Dino, is the coolest reptile you will ever meet. His pet human Simona rocks the house too.