This week I have been in a January Funk. I don’t exactly know why, but I have felt a significant malaise. Downright crappy. A two week layoff from writing often makes me feel that way. I’m not an “instant-on” type of person, so coming back to a series of deadlines for my blog has been an interesting challenge.
A funk is deadly, at least to me. I like to get things done. When I’m in a funk, it’s harder to get things done. Then, I get really pissed off because the funk is preventing me from getting things done, which makes it even harder to get things done. I read something I wrote while in the funk – lets just say I’ve read Nigerian chain letters that were better written.
Tonight, I feel like I”m through the funk. Here are the things I did to get out of it.
1. I called a good friend. He gets it. He likes to get things done too, and he and I commiserated about how we have to endure funks from time to time. I reminisced about how I dealt with funks when I was a graduate student. I used to do mini DNA preps, even when I didn’t need the DNA. Why? Because they always work. He said: Greg you need to find a mini-prep equivelent for your life today. Keep going, and things will work out.
2. I ate massive amounts of chocolate.
3. I went to my writing group that meets every other Tuesday night. We read each other’s work and give feedback. They read the Nigerian chain letter piece of trash I wrote, and didn’t correct the grammar. In fact, we had an interesting discussion about the underlying story. One person in particular really connected with the anecdote I shared.
The cliche about 90% of life is just showing up? It’s really true.
Chocolate! That works of me too.
Another thing I do is edit. I find that editing gets me back in the writing mood.
Jarie