I can do this.

On Monday morning I woke up thinking, “I can’t do this.”

I wasn’t referring to writing, or self-publishing, or work later in the day – just life. I felt like I couldn’t do life. Because life is HARD sometimes, and so we should be entitled to days where living goes into the impossible box (or at least, I think so).

Of course, validating my feelings didn’t change a thing (except me), and so I dragged myself out of bed, made a cup of tea, heated up last night’s dinner, and snuggled back into bed with my tablet to do some writing and chat on Twitter. I am so grateful to have an afternoon shift at work.

That’s when I found myself thinking, “I could so do this.”

This has been the first time I’ve truly thought I could write full-time. Not because I thought I’d never make enough moolah to live off (which I have thought, and, of course, is always a possiblity), but because I’ve always held that I’d go stir-crazy if I only wrote for the rest of my life.

I was wrong. I mean, I will keep painting, and working with children (I’d go insane if I couldn’t work with kids in one way or another), but I could be absolutely happy and content with being a full-time writer. The more I do it, the more I enjoy it.

And so, even though I’m in a slump right now (lots of factors at play, but I’m happy to say I am managing them), I also have a whole new drive for my writing career.

And now, with 600 words under my belt for today, it’s time to do some planning. Upwards and onwards!

Writing Process Blog Hop

Rules:  Answer the four questions below, link back to the person who invited you, and name the people who will be posting the following Monday.

Firstly, thanks to Amanda Staley for inviting me to participate in this blog hop. Amanda has been a great supporter and a wonderful friend since I started this writing journey about a year ago (has it really only been a year?!). She’s also started an awesome new gratitude blog called “Happy Ambition”, which I LOVE reading and will be contributing to as soon as I get my act together and write the second half of my interview <sigh>.

Anyway. To the questions:

What am I working on?

Like Amanda, there are a few things. One is this blog, Making Happiness, which I’m enjoying writing for. I’m also sitting on a kid’s fantasy novel that’s ready for its next round of editing (but I’m not), so I’m sitting on that for a while and throwing myself into a new one. In a way, the first novel seemed a bit like a practice round – now I’m really ready to get stuck into a book!

Outside of writing, I’m tutoring 6 part-days a week, and I’m working on keeping myself up-to-date with education in New Zealand, and globally, and working out my next steps in this field.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I only have one WIP, and the biggest difference is that it is a children’s book, but with an adult protagonist. What will be different about my next writing? We’ll see 🙂

Why do I write what I write?

I see too many children who don’t believe in themselves (adults, too, but that’s another story), and too many grown-ups who forget to value the beauty, innocence, and creativity of childhood. We should all be a little more child-like, and then, perhaps, we may see how grown-up they really are. Everyone should feel empowered to be the change they want to see in the world.

How does your writing process work?

Basically, it works when I’m feeling inspired. Which is more often than one may imagine. Once I have a project I believe in, a story I know is “good”, I can write on and on and on; the ideas & words just flow. Even on a bad day, I can force myself to write, and something will come out, so this year my big writing goal is just to write for me. Does that answer the question? I do plan first. I need a plan.

Look for the blog hop to continue next week (or the week after that, if they’re like me) on these sites:

J.C. Hart

Joy Findlay

Catherine Mede

Freya Robertson

7 Inspiring Videos

So, it’s day 6 of 7 for my blogging challenge – we’re almost there! You know, the reason I became a writer, the reason I’m a teacher, and the reason why I blog are all the same, really – I want to inspire the world, in the way that the world has inspired me. I want to help you realise your humungous potential for greatness, and to realise that all the stuff you think is terrible and wrong and evil in the world… well, you can change it.

As a teacher, I see – or hear about – so many students that don’t believe in themselves, don’t believe in their potential, and so, they never amount to much. It both saddens me and inspires me to think about what their lives could have been; what greatness might have been achieved if they realised how much power they really had.

This applies to adults as well. The fact is, most of us are not living up to our potential, for whatever reason. What I hope these videos will do is help you recognise the power, the beauty and the greatness inside you.

What’s your favourite video from the list, and what inspiring videos would you add to it?

I was introduced to this guy through a friend, and sat down and watched all his videos afterwards. Partly ’cause he’s super-inspiring, partly ’cause he’s super-cute. This is my go-to video when I’m feeling down, and is a part of my Blue Day Box.

An interesting talk about what really makes a business do well, and what really gets people on your side – it’s not what you do, but WHY you do it.

This was sent to me by an artist friend when I told her about my writing venture. She was excited and supportive and reckoned that this video is a really good watch, to help you when you feel like your work isn’t good enough, or you’re comparing too much to others. I agree, and recommend it for any kind of artist.

Obviously I rather like this guy. Another fantastic video here – and afterwards, I expect a corndog :p

I found this one really recently, but it completely changed my view of stress. In retrospect, I’d been inching my way towards this conclusion, but she explained it really well from a mental and physical point of view.

This screenwriter has some amazing advice about writing, and what I like most is that he encourages writers to be in it for the right reasons; express your values, and your personal truths, and invoke wonder in the audience. A beautiful talk.

Last but not least, something I’d like to do a full post on later – the power that our body language has over our mind, and the strong relationship between how the body and mind feel.

If only! (a post about being proactive)

After finally finishing Magical Kingdom for Sale/Sold, I grabbed the next book from my to-read pile: Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. There was a bookmark in it (a Qantas bag-tag from my trip to Melbourne in JUNE), and since I couldn’t be bothered re-reading the whole beginning, I picked up where I’d left off: Proactivity. Well, that’s not like you, Universe, being straight-up like that. I guess I missed the sneaky little signs, did I? (Like this post). Anyway, the part that stuck with me the most was what was termed the Circle of Concern – these are all the stuff we worry about, which for me includes everything the building pile of dirty dishes to “Oh-my-God I’m a terrible person!” We have varying degrees of influence over these worries – direct, indirect or, well, no control. To be proactive, instead of worrying, complaining, and amplifying the whole situation, I am now trying super-duper-hard to ask myself – “Ok. What can I do about it?”

May your dreams scare the bejeezles out of you.

My wish is that the mere thought of your dreams scares you, and I mean really shakes the bejeezles out of you, for anything that does not cause you to tremble cannot bring forth the true potential within.

And, when you are sufficiently scared, you should then go out and do whatever-it-is anyway.

Liebster Award from the Creatively Deprived

Thanks to Anne, author of the quality blog “Self-Help for the Creatively Deprived” for passing this award along. Your nomination & your readership mean a lot to me! I have tweaked the rules, and will answer your questions in a separate post.

In a nutshell: The Liebster is an award given by bloggers to recognise up-and-coming blogs worth reading.

Liebster rules (bent):

1. List 11 facts about yourself.
2. Choose 3-5 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate.
3. Go to each blogger’s page and let them know about the award.
4. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

Eleven Facts about Myself:

1. My favourite drink is Irish Breakfast Tea.
2. I am a Capricorn.
3. I play the ukulele, and am learning how to play the guitar.
4. I was born in Kanpur, India, and came to New Zealand aged 5 months old.
5. I like spiders.
6. I am 162cm tall short.
7. If I could be any animal, I would be a cat – lazy, demanding, and self-absorbed.
8. I like the cold.
9. I am a chronic hayfever sufferer.
10. Babies don’t like me.

Five Blogs worth Reading:

INSPIRATION: Tales of the Borderline, written from a genuine heart with a good dose of humour.

DEEP THOUGHT: The Fistfest Vanguard, two 20-somethings with a lot of interesting musings.

VISUAL ART: Nate Thiessen Art, surreal, beautiful and strange illustrations.

FOOD: Kiwi Food Wonders, for Kiwi foodies – definitely worth visiting for mouth-watering descriptions.

FREEBIES: Kindle Mamas, free and discounted e-books hand-picked by a couple of mothers.

Writing Playlist

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Dusty_Radio_on_a_shelve_with_books_on_the_left.jpg

The songs that are played again and again and again to help me get into writing mode. What do you listen to when writing?

1. Prelude in D flat Major, Op. 28,15 ‘Raindrop’ by Frederic Chopin.
   • My absolute favourite classical piece ever. It immediately puts me in a calm, peaceful place. Ironically, I was inspired to listen to Chopin through the TV show Dexter.
2. Children by Robert Miles.
   • This piece would always help me focus, I can’t remember how I discovered it, but I used to play it on repeat when I needed to write an essay that was due the next day (side note: my sister hated it with a vengeance, because of how often I had to write an essay that was due the next day).
3. My Friend by Groove Armada.
   • Also on my ‘running’ playlist, I listened to this when training for Round the Bays a couple of years ago (sadly, I am nowhere near fit anymore. Maybe next year?). It was the only song with lyrics, until I added…
4. Little by Little, also by Groove Armada.
   • Apparently I like Groove Armada.

Making Dreams a Reality

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That “couldn’t be done,” and you’ll do it.

Edgar Guest

This was the introduction to an excellent seminar from my CEO. Because only when we believe in ourselves, and believe in our dreams, can we turn a dream into a reality