Hello again Fellow Children’s Writers and Friends,

The images below are artists’ impression of my brain over the last year. It seems I’m not alone in this, do a quick Google search of brain overload or messy brain and you will find hundreds upon hundreds of images, artist impressions (some quite troubling) of what it’s like when you have too much to: think about, plan, do, desire to achieve, create.

Notice the order of this list. It’s squif! Realistic but squed. As a creative I have found that creativity gives me energy and yet I often leave it till last, completing all the things I am obligated to do first.

Oh don’t feel bad for me, along with the practicality of being a night owl who creates better at night, we all have obligations and in reality there is also a fair amount of procrastination, giving into the inner critique and genuine fear of creating. Well, not actually fear of creation, more like fear of creating crap and the time I’ve wasted creating it. Logically, I know you have to create crap to be able to create awe-inspiring, but life is so busy and so performance driven that it’s easy to forget the this. It’s easier to fall into the trap of believing all I create must be awe-inspiring or it’s a waste of time. Children, who still thankfully, have some time for the pure joy of creating do not have this issue.

So once this happened, I finally took the break I needed to think things through and much more importantly, to rest. Funnily enough, in that time I was actually able to achieve more, with much thanks to my family especially my husband who picked up the slack. Guilt of course, followed my every move, however, I learned both to delegate and to let some things go. It was worth it for this alone, if nothing else.

Some way to go yet, but taking a calmer route.

Therefore, I still have an overloaded brain and the child’s bedroom cupboard of my brain does still have stuff jammed in there, behind it all. However, this is what my brain looks like now and I’m happy enough to leave the metaphorical cupboard for another day, week, month. . .

So until next time, for a hopefully far more writing related blog,

Farewell fellow travellers,

Savour the quest,

Journeygirl.