Hopefully, you’re home social distancing yourself.* A nice euphemism for quarantine. In New York city we’re under a “pause” order which strongly encourages us to stay at home and all non-essential businesses have been shut down. Here’s what I’m going to tell you about making art in these difficult times: it’s okay if you don’t. It’s okay if you don’t have the energy. It’s okay if you can’t think of good ideas. It’s okay if you can’t string words together. It’s okay if you feel bad about your work right now.
Last night was the first time I have been able to write since the Pandemic Quarantine began in my home. I've been desperately depressed for the past two weeks and I went to a writing meeting. We wrote together online for about an hour and it made such a difference for me. I went on that night completely writing that scene and the depression finally broke.
This hits home because knowing this is what I needed to hear. I may be writing today, but the depression could come again. I could be paralyzed again. And all that is okay. I come before my art and if it needs to take a pause for me to feel better that's okay.
Thank you for this. Nothing I had plans for this month came to fruition. It’s stuff like this that’s helping me not beat myself up for it. I’m slowly learning to let myself breathe.
Was having a conversation with some people at work about the amount of performative publishing productivity we've been seeing lately and how I am just not feeling it because I'm SCARED. This really hit home. Thanks for voicing it.
Last night was the first time I have been able to write since the Pandemic Quarantine began in my home. I've been desperately depressed for the past two weeks and I went to a writing meeting. We wrote together online for about an hour and it made such a difference for me. I went on that night completely writing that scene and the depression finally broke.
This hits home because knowing this is what I needed to hear. I may be writing today, but the depression could come again. I could be paralyzed again. And all that is okay. I come before my art and if it needs to take a pause for me to feel better that's okay.
Thank you for this. Nothing I had plans for this month came to fruition. It’s stuff like this that’s helping me not beat myself up for it. I’m slowly learning to let myself breathe.
Was having a conversation with some people at work about the amount of performative publishing productivity we've been seeing lately and how I am just not feeling it because I'm SCARED. This really hit home. Thanks for voicing it.
Thank you
We're getting used to entirely new ways of living, we should give ourselves some slack.
https://melanietheconstantreader.substack.com/