What I'm Thankful For

As the holiday approaches, I see posts everywhere about what people are thankful for, and it got me thinking. What am I thankful for? There are so many things, but today I will start with sharing one.

I am thankful that I have the opportunity to be an author.

I know this probably doesn't sound like much, but to me it really is. I've been writing for years, but I've never really considered myself to be a writer, author, or teller of lies, what have you ;) To be honest, I never really thought I was that good at it, and I certainly never thought I would be successful.

That all changed when I wrote a book entitled That First Kiss and it suddenly took off. Now people know my name, they come to tell me that they enjoyed my work. And I'm like...

Okay, maybe it's not love, but a girl can dream.

It's such a gift to hear those words. They're so simple, but they mean so much to an author. You just don't know. It's affirmation that I am at least somewhat good at what I do, and it gives me incentive to keep doing it.

I am also thankful that this is a paying gig. It didn't used to be, and while some days are better than others, I am thrilled to bits that I can pay my bills and clothe my children and have a little wiggle room to do whatever the hell pleases me from time to time. Being an author has meant seriously changes in my family's life, and all for the better. I really am thankful for that, and I am thankful for all of you!

Thankful Thursday

There are so many things to be thankful for every moment of every day. Today, I am thankful for the wonderful people I have in my life.

I have great friends, some who also happen to be family, and some who are not. I have a wonderful husband who knows exactly who I am, and supports me every step of the way in everything I do. I have three beautiful children, who, although drive me bonkers, also know how to give really great hugs and provide me with so much joy and pride that sometimes I wonder how I keep it all in.

Each of these people keep me afloat. They pick me up when I am down, they give me courage to succeed, and they make me laugh even when I don't want to.

Everyone should be so blessed to have these kinds of people in their lives. 

When is the best time to get creative?

"Creativity -- like human life itself -- begins in darkness." --JULIA CAMERON

Okay, I will be the first to admit that most of the time, as I sit down in front of the computer screen and my fingers hover over the keys, I am distracted. Anything interesting in the old email today? A new review? What's that article all about? I should read it. By the time I realize I have done absolutely nothing, I have wasted an hour (sometimes more) doing absolutely nothing. After a bit of reprimanding has been done, I get serious, open up the right file and just as I get my bearings and my thoughts come together...mommy duty kicks in, and we're back to square one. 

Is this how it goes for you?

My husband tells me he found a quote somewhere that claims creativity is best at night. I get to thinking about this, realizing I can draw some serious lines to this theory from my own experience. You see, I spend a good portion of the day struggling to reign in my thoughts long enough to put out a couple of lines, until I just have to walk away for a bit. In the evening, I tend to come back, put on some music, and try again. And you know what? It flows. 

Why haven't I recognized this pattern before?

I tried Googling it to see if this theory holds any weight, and I found people everywhere asking others the same question, saying that they seem to only be truly creative at night. Then I found an article in The Washington Post saying that if you are a morning person, research shows that you are most likely to be creative at night. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are a night owl, then your creativity should hit you during the morning hours. 

So, the question I pose is, which side do you fall on?