I love magic. Books have always provided a ready source of the elixir I crave. The book doesn’t have to be a fantasy with wizards, witches, or supernatural creatures. Books about history sweep me away to another time. Treatises, opinion pieces, and even diatribes expose me to different points of view. It doesn’t matter if the author minted their words yesterday or hundreds of years ago. My perceptions are altered, expanded, and perhaps changed.

Writing helps congeal thoughts, tightens reasoning and logic, and reveals contradictions. Even free writing helps access beliefs, concerns, and troubles we have buried below the surface. Once they see the light of day, they demand acknowledgment, and the process begins anew.

What magic will you find today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

How do you write when you can’t write? What do you do when you show up, sit down, prepared to create brilliant work only to discover your muse didn’t get the memo? Lately, my mind has been churning, spewing thought fragments, disjointed ideas, and vague impressions that refuse to coalesce into anything coherent. Words and sentences float just beyond my reach.

I don’t ascribe to writer’s block, and what I am experiencing doesn’t resemble what those writers describe. The issue presents as an out-of-focus photo, a slightly off frequency radio transmission, or waking from a dream you almost remember. My normal tricks aren’t helping. But I won’t let this temporary fugue stop me. I have resorted to devising new tactics and alternate approaches.

I hired a stenographer. She sits, mouse quiet in the corner, pressing keys, recording the conversation without judgment or censure. There is no right or wrong, no condemnation for poor grammar, incomplete sentences, or incoherent babbling. When prompted, she reads the transcript verbatim. I listen and notice odd connections, unforeseen themes, and random relationships. And I suspect something important lurking in the mist.

How do you through tough situations?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

A soft rain fell overnight, but this morning the clouds evaporate in the dawn sky and revealed clear blue hope. Temperatures are warming, and the first tulip leaves have emerged from the earth. Daffodils dot muddy brown lawns, the heralds of a golden promise. I look forward to my garden in its spring splendor, my morning coffee on the patio, followed by writing alfresco.

For now, I wait and dream and write about lovely days.

I hope you find a reason to rejoice and enjoy your day.

What are you dreaming of?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

When we first start a new endeavor, our ultimate success or failure is often even odds. Tipping the scales in our favor comes from putting our best effort towards our goal.  A dogged determination helps us through setbacks and challenges, and an optimistic attitude keeps our spirits lifted.

If we are fortunate, help arrives when we flounder, and mentors who have traveled a similar pathway, offer guidance allowing us insight with the journey along our chosen path. Setting and striving for a goal, giving it our lazar focus, our finest effort is noble. By doing the best we can, we become a better, more confident, and we never need to wonder “what if.”  In life, daily work improves us and defines success. Look around and admire the fruits of your labor.

How can you do your best today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

It is easy to fall behind. You set goals, make plans, create schedules, and the world intervenes. The result is you flounder, miss the mark, and call yourself a failure. Your great plan lays in ruins. Thinking in black and white terms, there is only happiness or disappointments. Caving into rigid comparisons, without accounting for unforeseen circumstances, can encourage you to forsake your dreams. Thankfully, colors have countless shades and success can be measured in degrees.

Life ebbs and flows. A writing session may see words appear on the screen without effort. At the next scheduled session, your fingers can’t communicate with the keyboard. Your distracted mind wants to do something, anything else. You raise the white flag and surrender to writer’s block.

But you can’t relinquish your dream. You are somebody’s hero. Consistency is key, you must create within the day’s constraints. Write a single sentence, a poorly constructed sentence, or scrawl random thoughts across a blank page. If you do your best, if you compose what you can, then you are already a winner.

How many words will you write today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Tea and alcohol have been common beverage choices for over 5,000 years, making coffee a relative newcomer. Evidence of coffee drinking shows up in Yemen in the 15th century. Some denounced it as devil’s brew, but coffee had its champions. When an Ottoman clergyman shuttered local coffee houses, the Sultan executed him and reopened the shops. Coffee spread to Venice, where a priest called it a “bitter invention of Satan.” Pope Clement VIII dared to sample the curious liquid and hailed it a gift from God.

Who am I to argue with Sultans and Popes? Drip coffee offers a full pot of convenience, a French press exudes robust goodness, and a pour-over provides airy brightness. I have roughed it with an old-fashioned camp-style percolator and enjoyed intense espresso. I am an equal opportunity coffee drinker. Fast food brew, bad diner java, and coffee house specialties are a welcome start to any day. Whether they serve it in a paper cup, a restaurant-grade mug, or fine china, there is something special about having coffee prepared for you. As much as I like to make my coffee at home, I miss sitting at a shop and writing or meeting with friends for a good gossip session. Their list of add-ons reminds me of ice cream Sunday toppings.

But I am a purist and avoid sugar, cream or other additions to my cup. Henry is correct, the only thing I want with my morning coffee is another cup of coffee. And maybe a Danish.

How do you take your coffee?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Working from home, I face a schedule filled with never-ending, back-to-back videoconferences. I am constantly busy, but my productivity has fallen. Tangible results are lacking at the end of business, and I work longer hours. With everyone banished from traditional offices, regular meetings are vital to keeping the ball rolling. We are experiencing a learning curve, but I’m already discovering best practices.

First-rate meetings have an agenda, provided by the meeting host. The call lasts as long as necessary, but not longer. I appreciate a 5, 10, or 20-minute talk, instead of droning on to fill artificial half-hour increments. Respectful participants help the conversation by muting themselves unless they are speaking. The mute feature helps reduce background noises that can override the speaker’s mic, causing them to repeat themselves. Using the mute and off-camera options, lessen the chance of awkward situations and potential embarrassment.

At the kickoff, the host should outline the objectives, introduce any new attendees, and set clear expectations for asking questions, and when comments are appropriate. As an attendee, don’t be that person checking email, or performing some other task, who must then ask for the question to be repeated. The last five minutes should summarize the discussion’s key points, and deliverables, and provide an opportunity for clarifications. The presenter should also email recap notes to the team.

After multiple videoconferences, I log out, and turn on my favorite program, ready to unwind, only to discover it is being televised via a conference call.

Do you have videoconferencing pet peeves?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Winter doesn’t want to let go. The prediction is for two to seven inches of snow tonight. There is little chance it will stick around for long. My tulips are confused. The robins are reconsidering whether they moved north too soon, and I am planning to step outside in the cold like a fool. It won’t be the first time, nor will it be the last. There is something zen about walking in the snow at night.

With all the rain, and gray gloomy days we have been experiencing, I have spent too much time indoors. Who wants to deal with wet feet, drenched coats, and bone-shaking shivers after a cold rainy trek? Coming in from snowy excursion is so much easier to handle. Stomp your boots, shake off the jacket and warm your hands around a hot cup of coffee.

Then there is the silence. Rain is so noisy. Snowflakes fall in a graceful, ballet-inspired dance to light like butterflies on my outstretched hand. My worries melt away in their presence, as I focus on the fleeting beauty. Months will pass before I have this opportunity again. Braving the cold is worth the effort.

Will you get outside today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Physical exhaustion, sore muscles, and sweat top my list of things to avoid. I realize exercise’s benefits, but I prefer to disguise my daily dose wrapping my sessions inside other activities. Yoga, dancing, gardening, housework, and long walks are more to my liking. This week, I have noticed feelings of lethargy with no increase in my routine. I’m not surprised, because I’ve been here before. Symptoms suggest mental fatigue, and maybe you recognize some of them.

Experts point to high-pressure situations, financial stress, being a caregiver, poor work-life balance, and lack of social support as common causes for mental exhaustion. A crisis like COVID-19 might precipitate these conditions. While we are staying at home, we face too much. Too many decisions to make with insufficient information. Too much work steaming from creating home-based offices and classrooms. Concerns over job stability, money matters, and inadequate separation between work and personal time enters the equation. In caring for children, family members, and friends, we often neglect to care for ourselves. Insomnia or trouble sleeping fuels the spiral into fatigue.

There are ways to regain your normal energy levels, but they take effort, and they are not always easy to implement. One tactic is making fewer decisions. This may mean delegating responsibilities to others or enlisting their help in lightening the load. Getting outside lifts your mood, and exercise that makes your body tired can encourage relaxation at bedtime. Today I cranked the music loud enough to drown my bad singing and danced with my family. They are snoozing, and I am ready for a good night’s sleep.

Are you taking care of yourself?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I watch the panic buying and high demand items with interest. First to fly off grocery store shelves was toilet paper and milk followed by hand sanitizer, paper products, and anti-bacterial cleaning supplies. Then the sale of gloves, masks, and face shields surged. The locust swooped in, hoarding canned goods and shelf-stable foods like rice, dried bean, and pasta. As business sent employees to work from home, sales of webcams, routers, Wi-Fi boosters, headphones, and videoconferencing software soared. Let’s not forget the run on over-the-counter cold and flu medications, pain relievers, and thermometers, as we learned COVID19’s symptoms.

I found it funny that purchases of gym equipment and alcohol gained in popularity the same week. As we settled in for the long haul, board games, puzzles, and video games claimed their day in the spotlight. Self-isolation has increase home-cooked meals and baking. Store shelves lack yeast and flour as people bake bread, rolls, and cake from scratch. Social distancing coupled with increased videoconferencing, has us scrutinizing our image on the screen. Is it any wonder hair dye, hair clippers, beard trimmers, and other grooming supplies are the latest must-haves?

I have the luxury of observing other people’s reactions because I practice disaster preparedness every day of every year. The chest freezer is stocked, labeled, and the contents cataloged and rotated. I maintain backups for my backups. My grocery list contains mostly fresh fruits and veggies, and staple replenishments. Last week a woman sneered at my 15 items and asked if that was all I was buying. Yep, just the necessities for the next two weeks.

Have your buying habits changed?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer