There are few tasks as rewarding as choosing the perfect gift. Gifting to special people is our way of expressing admiration, respect, love, or sometimes disdain for the recipient. We invest careful consideration, weighing each selection before we make our decision. The process doesn’t stop there. The wrapping paper must have significance and coordinate with trims, bows, and name tags. We trim the paper with precision, tucking edges, and folding precise corners to create a visual masterpiece. If we succeed in our goal, revealing the treasure inside is as much of an event as the actual gift itself.

There is a great joy in watching a beloved family member unwrap a festive package decked with sparkling decorations. The box’s mysterious contents pique their curiosity. Some take forever dissecting tape and unraveling ribbons. Others can’t stand the suspense, and they rip, tug, and tear until the item lays revealed in their hands. Surprised delight, joyous squeals, and heartfelt gratitude are the payoff for the giver of fabulous items. When we consider the emotion we long to convey, we discover selecting an ideal present is rarely contingent on the monetary value. The best gifts often require investing time rather than spending money.

What gifts are on your wish list this year?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Sometimes the words don’t come. We get tired and find the free flow of ideas and coherent thoughts are blocked. The result is frustrating, and it can grow into a debilitating problem. Joni has the right idea. The best remedy is to disrupt the normal course of business. It’s time for a change. Mix up your schedule, do something different, push writing from your mind.

My answer is allowing my hands the freedom to engage in movements they know well. It allows my brain to rest. Completing household chores, working out, crocheting a scarf, using my sewing machine, hauling firewood, maintaining my car, or sanding a wooden table, lets me fulfill my need to create. Those tasks are physical, and while they work my muscles, my mind wanders.

Rote activities shift my overactive thought process into neutral, it clears a space, leaving a void. The universe despises voids, and they require filling. That is when inspiration strikes, and I am soon back at my keyboard, covering blank pages with lines of text.

What activities help you clear the way for your story?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

On a normal day, I interact with some amazing people. Some of them issue challenges, they make me smile, offer encouragement, lend support, supply guidance, or share a friendly cup of coffee, and laugh at my lame jokes. But we are in the high holiday season when family, extended family and nefarious outlaws conspire to hijack get-togethers, dinners and cocktail parties and create uncomfortable situations or exercise their right to expose their difficult side.

Dealing with challenging and unreasonable individuals can suck the joy from the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and curdle grandma’s famous banana pudding pie. I have devised a plan that resembles the game of hot potato. Cornered, with no chance of escape, I take a deep breath and listen. The breathing helps me to remain calm and non-committal.

I won’t make the mistake of agreeing to a follow-up lunch or an invitation to their junior’s birthday celebration. I nod and watch for my out. It always comes in unexpected ways. An off-hand comment launches an opening for me to pass my companion to another party goer. Or a cousin tucks her hair behind her ear, and I interpret the gesture as a summons to join her in the kitchen.

Each hurdle I clear inches me closer to the exit. Smiles, hugs, empty promises to meet up soon, and I am out the door, engulfed by the freezing night air and silence. The holiday mix cues and ‘Silent Night’ pours from my car speakers, the balm to my frazzled nerves.

How do you stay positive and happy?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Lately, a topic has been surfacing in my feeds: finding your writing voice. It is not something I had considered. So, I searched for explanations and directions, only to find the best advice disappointing. Comments included the usual lineup of admonitions ranging from ‘just write,’ to ‘read more,’ and my favorite, ‘know your audience.’ While they have merit, they are insufficient in developing and allowing a voice to evolve. Once again, I rely on my own devices to generate an approach to my newest problem.

Here’s what I decided. To develop your unique style, you need to realize who you are. I am a numbers person, who appreciates facts and logic. Concise, pointed writing is important to me. I also enjoy surprising descriptions and singing words that embed themselves in your head like an ear-worm. My daily practice is a joy, and it is not work. Those qualities must seep into my stories.

Sharing your creations to gain feedback is another necessary step. Good critiques can confirm when your message hits the mark or identify where it falls short. When you internalize new information or write a new piece, it gives you knowledge, experience, maturity, and it changes you. As you change, your method of expression evolves. In time, you connect more deeply with the inner you.

Does your writing reflect your values?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Gretchen’s quote is brilliant. There are days I don’t want to write, or the day has been cray-cray, and it is late, and I want nothing more than to go to sleep. The magic happens as I write my one sentence, and suddenly I have written a paragraph or a few hundred words. They add up, fast.

Even if it is late, I try to make time to write. Sometimes I nod off and wake hours later with a glowing laptop screen and my face bearing the impression of the keyboard. It is a good thing I love writing.

How do you keep your writing habit strong?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer