Last week I had the honor of speaking a part of a panel as part of AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) on changing the stories we tell about addiction. Whether you want to tell fiction or non-fiction tales, I hope you’ll take a look at the piece I wrote to help gather my thoughts, It’s Time We Rewrite The Addiction Story and let me know your insights on this topic.
This issue marks a full year of Notable newsletters, and that got me reflecting on why I started sending them—you, me. Us. None of us thinks we’re always doing the next right thing. Personally, I spent way too much of my life giving room to that doubt, til it grew to be an inner monster.
My memoir (back-in-progress) is about the near-decade I spent searching for the guru or shaman who could tame that beast until finally I learned to trust my inner voice. There’s more on why I terminated that deal in Notable’s Nov 2021 issue, but I mention the struggle here to back up my problem, but also my proof of having successfully prevailed against my inner monster.
In his book Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, cartoonist Hugh Macleod writes about the struggle between making art that pays the bills and work that feeds the soul. “The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally,” he writes, “is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do from what you are not.”
Having spent my 1970s childhood bopping around different elementary schools in various stages of “experimental” education, I know my learning style is weird. In other words, this doesn’t have to take a decade to learn, but living that lesson does require regular maintenance.
Rather than let that inner monster be a productivity KILLER, I’m always on the lookout for ways to soothe the beast. Notable is a regular reminder to do just that, because in sharing my torturous process, I get to hear about yours.
Inspired
Here’s a concept I heard just yesterday that I wanted to share, though I’m probably bastardizing the quote:
Fear keeps you as miserable as if that thing you feared was actually true.
Love this.
The idea stems from Byron Katie’s teachings, an author whose life mission is to help us see our thoughts as liars. If, like me, you’ve ever struggled with knowing your inherent value, you might enjoy her work. As I like to put it (bastardizing Descartes):
I think, therefore I lie.
Our thoughts are liars. No matter what I think about (fill in the blank), someone else will think about that same thing differently. Does that make one of us wrong? Both? Could we both be right?? Any way you look at it, it’s a huge relief.
Framing my thoughts helps me, a) not take myself too seriously, b) make room for other points of view, and c) stay off the shame spiral. Or, as Thomas Edison reportedly said when his studio burnt to the ground in 1914, “thank goodness all of our mistakes and burned up. Now we can start fresh.”
Treat Yo’Self!
We often think we should wait till the end of something to celebrate, but this study out from Cornell suggests that rewards given early and often can build stronger habits.
Give yourself a boost
If you’re writing anything at all that escapes your personal computer, you can join in on #Mondayblogs. Started by Rachel Thompson (@RachelintheOC), Mondayblogs is a hashtag where writers can add their latest essays and/or blog posts for an added boost of traction. The piece doesn’t need to be written on a Monday, but the Tweet does. Just don’t share blatant promos. Thank you, @Lissa_Johnston, for introducing it to me.
Speaking of boosting, it’s an oldie but why not?
For some reason, the piece above that I wrote back in December is suddenly gaining traction. I’m pretty happy with it so I thought I’d share it with you. LMK what you think.
Craft
Speaking of our thoughts being liars… In this terrific podcast episode screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss why our characters are liars, and why that’s a good thing. Personally, I think all the “lying” is another way to explore our own truths indirectly, which is why stories work where rules do not.
Recommended
We’re all looking for feel-good distractions sometimes, and here’s a great list of 46 inspiring movies to work through. I haven’t seen all the films on this list (including Love, Actually, though in my defense I was living in Qatar when it came out), but I’d like to add one of my faves, Strictly Ballroom, a Baz Luhrmann classic that shows his surprisingly lighter side. Blending sincerity and camp, the story is based in the world of competitive ballroom dancing.
And that’s what’s Notable lately.