Motivation is a fickle mistress. She shall come forth from the ether and shower you with ideas and grand dreams and when all is said and done she shall recede back to whence she came coyly poking her head out every once in a while to still see if you’re looking for her. Only, when you do make eye contact she always has to wash her hair. This is especially true for procrastinators and during winter storms. There is something about deep cold prolonged weather that makes your body shut down and do fuck all. Last time I checked humans are non-hibernating mammals. Why is it whenever a storm comes along my first thought it to wrap myself in a cocoon (for the etymologists) or den (for my mammalogists homies) of blankets and do nothing? Today I slept until noon. I was up for about an hour and a half watching TV when I went back to bed and slept for another 4 hours. I had plans to write today. Yesterday I convinced myself that I would do some creative writing and get it all done. Maybe start on some research on some other articles I want to write. And the product of today? This.
I guess it can be said that while I have set a goal of using writing prompts to share some of my creative writing with you every week I don’t have to if I don’t want to. Like an obese child with a cupcake I DON’T HAVE TO SHARE AND YOU CAN’T MAKE ME! That being said, the whole point of the exercise was for me. You are here to judge me and call me out on when I don’t release a weekly blog post. You are the executioner your hood black as night and your fingers gently caressing the handle which will drop the blade waiting to sever the limbs which are my internet dignity (I think that analogy’s a bit tortured). Anyway, I write for you but I largely write for me which is why I think I’m funnier than mad house and equally unqualified to entertain you and grateful that you are choosing to spend your time and mental power reading and processing the giblet sandwich that is my writing.
What I am saying is that you are my motivation after all is said and done. While Motivation might coo from around the corner and flee down an alley when I get close, you, my dear reader, are standing out in the open. Glaring at me holding a rusty lead pipe. You know what it means. I know what it means. And I’m sorryI’llgetbacktoworkrightawaysir.
I am a groundhog.
Jack Pearce/Flickr
When I pop my head out of my den I do a lot of work (this analogy works if you also believe prophetic weather powers is great and strenuous work. I think it is. I mean what other animal can foretell the range of the season. And not even that, it’s that it happens every year. I mean he’s never right yet he tries every year. And people, some a touch misguided [fortune tellers are one thing but groundhog fortune tellers. HAHAHA with a little crystal ball!!! …fantastic.] pay attention to them every year! That pretty astounding for a dirt rat.) but after that I still go back down and sleep for 6 weeks. What I am horrendously trying to convey here is that I am working on wanting to motivate myself more. Writing is fun for me and I want to Pavlov’s dog this bitch (pun totally intended)! Positive feeling towards writing will create a powerful want to do so. That being said I’m going back to marathoning Bones.
Cheers
UPDATE: A friend sent me this to give me a “friendly kick in the ass” which I always appriciate. Especially from her.
Charles Bukowski on the Ideal Conditions and Myths of Creativity, Illustrated by Maria Popova
The poem – “air and light and time and space” by Charles Bukowski – is wonderfully moving and here it is in comic form by Zen Pencils
via Zen Pencils
Groundhog image via Jack Pearce / Flickr
Me and Caterpie 