Some weeks are hard, but some would try Job’s patience. Every step is a struggle as you trudge forward. Nothing goes right, your bus doesn’t stop on Easy Street, hardships dog-piles on top of stress, and slumber is a long-forgotten dream. Failing, not reaching your stated target is demoralizing, painful, and an acid test of your determination.

I have no intention of succumbing to defeat, and I won’t wave the white flag. I won’t give up. Instead, I recommit to my goals, and I rewrite and rework my calendar. Sometimes, the best idea is to chuck your lists, find a quiet sanctuary, and realized it is okay to place self-care as your priority. Tonight, I plan to relax, recharge, and sleep like a baby. Tomorrow presents another chance to win.

Will you keep trying?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

We plot, research, plan, schedule, outline, and create a roadmap we feel sure will guarantee a clear track to success. But even when we know the destination, the path can be circuitous. Detours, roadblocks, washouts, and fallen bridges block the direct route.

We find ourselves unprepared, short on supplies, lacking the right password, and despair threatens to consume the last of our resolve. The going is fraught with peril, and we scramble, attempting to discover alternate paths, devise a Plan B, and keep our eye on the ultimate prize. We cling to hope’s faint light and push forward.

Having goals is imperative. I compare the writer’s struggles to Joseph Campbell’s structure of the hero’s journey. The goal is set. We answer the Call to Adventure, travel the Road of Trials, descend into the Abyss, and experience the Supreme Ordeal. I realize the story isn’t complete, and everyone is waiting for our hero to prevail against all odds.

Where are you on your hero’s journey?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Monday morning mind melt-down. The alarm sounds, and I jolt awake. I feel as if I lay down to sleep only moments ago. The weekend left me exhausted, and family matters, world concerns, and life’s barrage of curveballs elevate my everyday worries and my stress levels. Sigh. I have tricks to kick-start my writing process.

Step 1: Coffee, steamy hot, and lots of it.

Step 2: Strap myself to the seat of my chair. It is far too easy to heed the call of dirty dishes, unmade beds, piles of laundry, and the dust accumulating on top of the fridge. Perhaps I should polish those streaky windows, or vacuum clean the upholstery? Boy, this armchair is heavy. Ah, yes, I am writing now.

Step 3: Turn off all social media. I don’t enjoy realizing I have spent the last hour running mindlessly through a maze of fascinating and non-productive rabbit holes.

Step 4: Reread what I wrote yesterday and maybe doodle some additional ideas. Here it is, NO editing. I love reviewing sentences, reorganizing paragraphs, and tweaking my word choices, but that must wait for another day.

Step 5: Write something, anything, be it nonsense or a crazy notion. I let my notes, a random thought, or a compelling phrase gleaned from my daily review lead the way. Just starting is often enough to make words appear on the page.

What tricks help you kick-start your daily writing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Spring tops everyone’s favorite season list. It’s hard to deny the attraction of delicate blossoms and the promising signs of life after a long, barren winter. Many taint autumn’s splendors with the weight of death and dying, sadness and grief. I consider it a time of great transition. Any seasoned gardener knows a successful spring showing begins each autumn, and this annual event is a cause for celebration, appreciation, and hope for the coming year.

We resist change. We cling to our past, trusting established patterns, which construct a self-made prison, where we bind ourselves in chains. Uncomfortable with the unknown, we close our minds to exquisite possibilities and lock ourselves into our comfort zone. We have the key. We only need to let go. Trees recognized the futility of clinging to their magnificent foliage. Those leaves served their purpose, and as they fall to the ground, they will fulfill their destiny, decaying into nourishing compost.

Cold weather is a catalyst that sets into motion events that lead to the desired goal. Gardeners use this time to prune and cut, lightening the load, shedding excess baggage, and keeping what is necessary to fuel future growth. They improve the foundations and dream of new beginnings. What could be more beautiful?

Do you need to let go?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Last weekend snowflakes knocked on my door, but Mother Nature scolded Old Man Winter and warned him it was not yet his time to rule the weather. Thanks to her intervention, the glorious vigor has returned with a triumph of autumn color. Vibrant yellows, glistening golds, and intense ambers filled with the wisdom of the ages slowly transform into rusts, burnt oranges, and dusty browns.

By day, sunlight plays hide and seek among earth’s radiant hues, and gentle breezes showcase dancing leaves against the sky’s clear blue backdrop. The moon refused to miss the joyful revive. Luna rises late, eager to cast an ethereal glow for those of us who fight to acclimate to daylight savings time. Orion, my beloved hunter, appears on the edge of the horizon, and the games begin.

I love these days. The warm temperatures recall summer’s heat, but a chill warning encourages action. There is joy woven on a bed of urgency, and it drives me to make haste, and prepare before winter comes to stay.

What is on your autumn agenda?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

It is easy to get discouraged. We make plans to improve our lives, to alter our trajectory, and help others. The moment we set our intention to change, the universe takes notice. Those higher powers believe they know best, and everything is running fine. Who are we to step out of line and mess with perfection?

Overcoming pushback is difficult. It requires concentration and determination, regardless of the goal’s size and complexity. Whatever the intended objective, the strength needed to crush inertia and gain momentum is substantial. With that in mind, I plan to beat trends, upset my status quo, and trick it into submission. I’m not above playing dirty if I must. I won’t be wasting my time and energy on small goals I plan on reaching for the stars.

Have you set lofty goals?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Ideas are as numerous as raindrops on a wild, stormy night. Capturing a decent concept is as elusive as catching lightning in a bottle. Creativity on demand is challenging. Commit to completing your first draft, they say. Count your words, keep pen to the page until you reach your goal. Rinse and repeat: day after day, after day. It is easy, right?

It might be if stringing random words together constituted excellent writing if interesting plots lines materialized from thin air and fascinating characters knocked on your door. We are human, not magicians, so we seek inspiration everywhere. When the lightning strikes, we hold it tight and write late into the night.

When do your ideas flow?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

What makes art, art? What criteria elevate mere mortals to the exalted title of  “artist?”

It is a question august scholars have grappled with, argued, defined, and debated. There have been entire books written on the subject. Some say if you call it art, then it is art. Experts stipulate art must be beautiful, or they impose conditions that demand skill, training, and sophistication. Each requirement is open to interpretation and personal preferences. I have not found the committee that makes the final determination.

I regard art as a vehicle used to convey information, a concept, a belief, a thought, an emotion — feelings. An artist creates. They mold a mishmash of disparate materials, manipulating them to construct an extraordinary means of communication. Not everyone understands the artist’s language, but still, the message can change everything. I don’t get caught up in labels and titles and hair-splitting nuances. Instead, I like to do, produce, invent, and dream of possibilities.

A magnificent trait I see in people calling themselves artists is their ability to solve problems. They challenge the limits of the status quo, stretch the imagination, consider the impossible, and transform the intangible into a reality they can share with others. They approach common concepts from unique perspectives, and they take deliberate actions that force them to face their fears. Confronting what terrifies them is easier than not taking any action. I believe the soul of an artist dwells inside every human. It is our mission to find our distinct voice, listen, and dare to create magic.

Why do you create?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I have seen the endless prerequisites required to become a successful author. You must get an agent, submit your work, set up your platform, suck it up as they reject your work, start a newsletter, cultivate your voice, love reading, build your street team, read everything in your category, manage your brand, decide on your genre, learn your craft, daydream, and find your compelling reason for writing. What am I forgetting? Oh yeah, you also need to create something brilliant. The list is long, daunting, and impossible to master in a short timeframe. No wonder people quit.

I’ve made a radical decision. I plan to ignore the mandatory requirements and helpful advice, opting instead to compose stories. There is a saying that states, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I trust the devices and skills will arrive at the point in my journey when I need them. I intend to keep an open mind, learn whatever I can today, and continue to write with the tools at my disposal. I have decided the only prerequisite needed to become a published author is to write.

What is your favorite writing tool?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Have you heard this story?

Once upon a time, a traveler encountered three stonemasons laboring in the hot sun. Coming to the first stonemason, the traveler asked what he was making. Annoyed, the young man paused in his task, wiped his sweaty brow, and explained in a gruff voice that he was working in the blistering heat, carving stones. The traveler nodded and moved onward.

Reaching the second stonemason and still curious, he questioned him about what he was doing. The man laid down his tools and replied that he was shaping the massive stones required for a foundation, and later he would make the blocks needed to form walls. The traveler thanked him for his response and continued along the path.

Further along the trail, the traveler met the third stonemason. This third mason focused deeply on his work, but the traveler relayed his question once more. The mason chisel continued to ring with each strike of his hammer, following a line invisible to the traveler’s eye. When he reached his stopping point, the mason turned and smiled at the traveler. “I’m glad you inquired. Please let me show you,” he said before leading the way to a busy construction site. He gestured, throwing his arms wide, and exuberantly detailed every aspect of the magnificent cathedral he was building.

What is your daily work’s purpose?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer