Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Leather and Oil and Learning When to Let Go

Hey now, Fifty Shades, this isn't that kind of blog post... go take a cold shower and come back. As some of you may know, in addition to writing, I am also an equestrian. I have a horse that I'm training, and as we speak I've just finished cleaning his saddle and bridle. My bedroom is filled with the lovely scent of leather and saddle oil (which by the way is AWESOME for the hands), and I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.

I've had these two passions since I was a kid. Like, five years old. I loved horses and I loved books, and I would write stories about horses. And then later stories that mimicked the high fantasy I grew up on (Tolkien, Dragon Lance, Tad Williams, Tamora Pierce, etc.). I've gone through stages with both where I took a break for a while, but they've always been woven into the fabric of my being and always will be. I consider myself very lucky to have such unshakable direction in my life.

For the last five years, writing took the main stage, and while I had horses, I was terribly remiss in doing anything with them other than keep them as fancy lawn ornaments. My current horse, Max, was born at my house and so for many years was too young to ride. And then he got old enough and I procrastinated. But last year I got a divorce and moved into an apartment with no room for an equine, so I had to start boarding him at a farm about 20 minutes away. Over the last year, I've made more progress with him than I have in the last five. Funny how things work out that way. I think what I missed was a support system of other horse friends, and I needed to regain my mojo. I had a totally untrained horse on my hands who has a pretty dominant personality, and I'd lost a lot of my own boss-mare attitude. So, I've been finding it again and Max and I are doing awesome. 

On the other hand, my writing in the last year has been fairly slim. I've played around with a bunch of different projects, and nothing has quite grabbed me. I'm very Type A about certain things, and am used to slamming out full novels in 6-12 weeks, so this was very disconcerting to me. But then I had an epiphany the other day: it's okay to let go sometimes. I know I can make deadlines. I've written four complete novels. Last year was a year of transition and finding a new balance. And it's okay to slow my pace a bit.

Do you balance more than one passion in life? What are your thoughts on the ebb and flow of your focus and inspiration? 



15 comments:

  1. Actually, I do have two passions I balance. I love to paint, and I love to write. I'm actually a writer first, but I'm a former teacher. What I do now is volunteer an after school art class at a community center for students 8 to 12, allowing younger siblings and older returning students. It's a high point in my week, so different from writing, and it gets me away from my computer. I love it. And then I return to my main passion, which is writing.

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    1. I find it interesting when people have two artistic talents... I am a terrible painter!

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  2. Oh man, I miss horses - but with me, it's remembered nostalgia and not a passion. I actually haven't been on a horse in 25 years. I'll always remember those days wistfully, though.

    I guess I'm not really a passionate person. I wouldn't even call my writing a passion. It's more like a compulsion. I have to write, because if I stop, I feel all bottled-up inside.

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  3. I used to have a horse eons ago, and he had a strong personality also. Man, we used to have some fun in the wide open fields of Louisiana. :)

    Fortunately (or not) I only have one passion in my life (besides my family) and it allows me the luxury of focus. But you are absolutely right about balance...nothing works if that is out of whack! :)

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  4. It is okay sometimes. We can only really focus on one major goal at a time. You have found your focus with horses and Max again, and that has taken a front seat. It's all right. The writing will come back full circle. Maybe you need to write a fantasy story about a horse named Max...?

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    1. I am a goal multi-tasker! I think I can do both just fine, but last year had a lot of other transitions going on...

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    2. Oh, and yes, horses are frequently part of my stories!

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  5. Trying to balance my passion for teaching and writing is a challenge . . . luckily, I have summer break, so that helps :-)

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  6. Perhaps balancing two loves isn't about equal time but ebb and flow. This is "horse" time. Later "writing" will take center stage again. And that's just fine.

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  7. It is hard to balance two loves. I have only so much energy each day, coupled with keeping the house in reasonable shape.

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  8. I think it's okay to let go of things. And sometimes your life changes and your interests change too. Just be happy!

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  9. I think writing ebbs and flows, like anything else. Soak up life, enjoy being with your horse. You will write when you're ready!

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  10. I think we need time to refill our creative wells, so sometimes we'll write like mad and other times, we'll slow down.

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  11. Sometimes you have to let go and just go where life takes you. Balancing my passions for writing and family are a daily challenge. Sometimes one takes the lead, and sometimes the other. Go with what feels right to you.

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