How do you handle Christmas now that writing is your life? Do you write right through the holidays? Or can you easily tear yourself away from work in order to participate in the season?<\/p>\n
I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m celebrating one year of blogging. Last year at this time, my entries related to my struggles, my failings and my few successes with regard to juggling my work and holiday tasks. Each year, I seem to adopt a different approach to Christmas. BFTW (Before Full-Time Writing), I sewed, I knitted and I did needlepoint projects for Christmas giving. I made ornaments for our tree and advent calendars of felt, beads and sequins for all of the children that I knew. I wrote poems and designed my own Christmas cards. I baked. I entertained. And each shopping trip was an event. I loved the holiday season\u00e2\u20ac\u201din fact, you might say that I made love to the holiday season or let it make love to me.<\/p>\n
And then I became a serious writer and established a full-time writing, publishing and editorial business. The month of December suddenly shifted from joyful to stressful. How would I get it all done? <\/p>\n
Every year, as December approaches I contemplate the challenges of working full-time while doing it all. I fret. I try bargaining for extra time. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve attempted all sorts of creative maneuvers in order to find that loving feeling for the holidays once again. It seems that no matter what I do, the whole Christmas season is a blur. I feel deprived either because I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get to do everything or because I try to do everything. It is a lose\/lose situation for me.<\/p>\n
Last year, as you may recall, my strategy was to do something related to Christmas every day during the last few weeks of countdown. And I attempted to focus totally on that task\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto be in the moment with that task\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbecause that is the only way you can truly enjoy what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing. This was fairly successful. <\/p>\n
This year, however, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve become even more brazen. I have taken an entire week off. This IS bold, considering there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s writing work to be done and when I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do it, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no money coming in to pay for all of that shopping, creating and entertaining I want to do. Sigh. <\/p>\n
This is my week off. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Wednesday and things are going well. I am enjoying the season. So what am I doing at the keyboard? Well, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only 7: a.m. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still working in my office during the early morning hours because I have clients to take care of and article ideas that must be jotted down, lest I lose my edge. So far this week, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve put up our tree\u00e2\u20ac\u201dan artificial one so I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to worry about it drying out by Christmas. I have decorated the house and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve started addressing our Christmas cards. Yahoo.<\/p>\n
I have most of my shopping done, but will go out one day this week to pick up a few things, but mostly to enjoy the ambiance in the mall.<\/p>\n
I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m doing some bead work, which I love. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m making felt stockings for the two new babies in the family. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m taking it slow and easy so that each task is enjoyable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dso that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m feeling fulfilled rather than rushed. And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m getting enough work done in my office each day to quell any random stress\/pressure. Life is good.<\/p>\n
Today, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m wrapping gifts. Among the gifts, this year, are copies of my latest book, Adventures in Dubai <\/em>and a book I published through Matilija Press this year for another author, Johanna\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Journey<\/em>. I will also give a few copies of a book I edited earlier this year for Gary Spivey, Keys to Heaven. <\/em><\/p>\n And once I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve immersed myself in those Christmas dreams of sleigh bells, sugarplums and Bing Crosby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Christmas carols, I will resume my writing\/editing and promotion work with a joyful heart and many wonderful holiday memories. <\/p>\n What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on your heart this month? Are you finding ways to enjoy the season while continuing the flow of writing? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d love to hear how you do this. Plfry620@yahoo.com<\/p>\n Do you need some good books for holiday giving, order Adventures in Dubai <\/em>(the story of my visit in this fascinating Middle Eastern emirate in May of 2006), Johanna\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Journey <\/em>(the true story of love and loss. This book also includes my story of inheriting four adult cats and how God orchestrated their purrfect placement), The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book <\/em>(for anyone who is thinking about writing a book or who is in the process of writing a book). http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com.com<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How do you handle Christmas now that writing is your life? Do you write right through the holidays? Or can you easily tear yourself away from work in order to participate in the season? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m celebrating one year of blogging. Last year at this time, my entries related to my struggles, my failings and my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t