If it isn’t obvious by now, regular blogging is not my thing. I won’t apologise for it – I have a number of valid reasons – and I won’t list my excuses, since that will probably just bore you. So, dear reader, what should I write about?
Maybe you’d like me to share some of my experiences as a neurodivergent and disabled writer, along with some of my tips and tricks. Or you’d like an update on my novel-in-progress. Perhaps you looked at my profile description and wondered what happened to the book reviews I said I’d do. Or are you just wondering what I’ve been up to since I posted last summer?
Let’s tackle these topics one by one.
What I’ve been up to
The number one focus of recent months has concerned my future: how to improve various aspects of my health; how to balance my needs with making money; whether I can live abroad without ruining that balance. My plans and hopes feel quite fragile, despite months of therapy and research, and I’m hesitant to decide where I’ll go and what I’ll do.
But hang on, you say – what’s this about living abroad?
Perhaps I need to prove to myself that I can still do it despite my disabilities. Mostly I think I’m just tired of being here for so long: the same home we’ve had since I was a toddler, the same city with its overpriced services and limited career opportunities. So, after a wonderful holiday in Spain and Germany last April, I decided to make my move – literally.
If I have to stay in a tiny home on a tiny budget in order to live independently, why shouldn’t I do so in another country?
What I’m doing now
I’m writing!
Not a lot, and not often, but I’ve found that if I just schedule 20 minutes per day, a few days a week, I can actually make some progress. It’s how I wrote this blog post, and chapter 15 of my NIP (yes, the one I started eight months ago…)
I don’t set word counts or other expectations, since they’ve only led to disappointment before. In a few more weeks, I should be able to tell if this system works for me.
I’m also trying new ways of turning exercise and movement meditation (qi gong, walking, or yoga) into regular habits. There’s no chance of my becoming a gym girl, but if I can run more than 5 minutes at a time by the end of the year, I’ll be content.
And, as I mentioned above, I’ve got a number of things to research before I move to Europe. To save money, I’m considering joining a house-sitting/pet-sitting organization, since their memberships are often cheaper than renting. If you’ve tried this before, readers, please let me know in the comments!
What I’ll do next
More researching, writing, and self-care. That should keep me busy, along with my two jobs.
About the writing…as much as I love it, I need to find the middle ground between enjoying myself and producing things that bring in money or readers. I won’t finish this post with a promise to blog more frequently, because at this point in time it isn’t sustainable. While you can look forward to more content here in the next few months, my focus will be on writing for publication.
And when – NOT if – my work is published, I’ll be sure to give you all the good news.
Emma Lammers 