When I travel to schools and share stories of my life as a children's author I get asked a whole bunch of questions. That part of my visit is sometimes my favorite because as you know, kids say the darndest things, right? But one question I always get asked is, “Do you ever run out of things to write about?”
My response is always the same. I have been writing since second grade and have not run out of topics yet! Some may wonder how that is possible. It’s quite simple for me since I consider myself an emotional writer--my writing is best when I simply write what I feel. That means I am inspired to write just about all the time: when I am sad, baffled, anxious, disgusted, happy, incensed or hurt.
I am so fortunate to have recognized at just seven years of age just how therapeutic writing was for me. Never having been one to talk about my feelings, putting my thoughts and feelings down on paper worked perfectly. I now possess a box full of filled up journals that I move with me from house to house! And since I am now a weekly blogger it is for sure a win-win; you get a blog and I almost always feel better!
In addition to writing when I am in flux, I also “busy" myself. Many times you will find me busy in my kitchen under a cloud of flour dust. But I have found that the bigger the “issue”--the bigger the project I need to throw myself into. As a regular blog reading friend you know I am in need of a pretty big project right about now. So it seems the perfect time for that half-bath renovation I have been putting off, right?
Now, don’t go thinking I am just redoing the bathroom for sanity sake. This bathroom has structural challenges as well as plumbing issues. You haven’t forgotten about them now, have you? For example, when the toilet overflows we discovered that it drips through a hole in the floor which then drips ever so slowly directly above my daughter’s bed! Inside those boards seems now to be the perfect place for little tiny black flies (sort of cute) to breed and call home. Then there is the issue of size. We often have rather large (okay, very large) football players over to our home and they hardly fit inside our guest bath--which poses an entirely different sort of problem.
So, as a person who moves depending on the win and loss column, every redo must increase the resale value of our home. Along with that I must also be inspired. Usually that inspiration starts with a random piece. There is usually absolutely no rhyme or reason, except that the “piece” speaks to my heart. I thought I would sort of bring you along on this therapy redo as my bathroom and I progress. I am not sure how the blogging and redo will partner just yet, but I do know I will have plenty of time to figure it all out.
Here are my inspiration pieces, in no particular order.
The collection of "pieces" that speak to my heart!
1. I found this doorknob four seasons ago (FYI: Football people count years in seasons, not years) at an Antique Store near Birmingham, Alabama for about $8. My friend and I attached it to a cut of old pallet wood I had lying around my garage.
2. I snatched up these old hinges for $4 each at The Golden Nugget Flea Market in New Jersey about three seasons ago.
3. I fell head over heels for this old fashioned letter slot thingy for $15. No idea yet what “business” it has in a bathroom, but I will keep you posted!
Moral: Finding what helps you personally to handle, deal, live and move through a personal struggle is time worth spending.
your emotional writer friend,
A little thing for you to know: With summer winding down and my emotions winding up I am officially back to my weekly Tuesday blogging. As a public service of sorts, please share with me any subjects, questions, recipes or topics you’d like to see me tackle. I still strive for my blog to fill a need within each one of us-- either beneficial, informative, humorous, eye-opening or heartwarming! Take your pick!