I took a self-assessment quiz the other day, and the results suggested I am a rebel. I laughed, closed the tab, and dismissed it as a highly flawed waste of time. Nobody adheres to rules, follows formulas, and the “right path” better than I do. But as these things happen, I started thinking. What does it mean to be a rebel?

The first impression that comes to mind is a troublemaker who won’t accept directions, instructions, or social norms and who disrupts everybody’s pleasant day. Have rebels gotten a bad rap? Sure, they challenge the status quo, question everything, and wonder “what if.” They challenge the idea that events must follow a prescribed manner and balk when the answer is “because it’s the way we’ve always done it.” What if there is a better process or a simple solution? What is the point in obeying every rule if we can’t cut loose and dance?

I see many of my peers get caught up with following self-proclaimed gurus and their “10 Steps to Success” rules. I know I have fallen into the trap and experienced feeling inadequate, stupid, uncomfortable, constrained, and a complete failure when I didn’t achieve the promised outcome. Then I stop and remind myself one size does not fit all. Those authorities are experts of their history, their journey, but not mine. Thank goodness we are all different, or the world would be an incredibly uninteresting place. We don’t travel the exact path. We can’t live another person’s life. We are distinct individuals, rare creatures, with unique perspectives, and we all harbor the heart of a rebel.

How will you celebrate your inner rebel?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

It happens to the best of us. We plan and schedule, set boundaries, minimize distractions, and we still get blindsided. A family emergency, a burst water pipe, a bout of flu, a flat tire, or an unexpected snowstorm slated for the exact wrong time of day can derail a meticulously crafted itinerary and create a time jam. We live time-crunched lives where everyone’s default setting is “busy,” and we wear the badge with pride.

Sometimes situations run amok we discover cannot manage, and we follow our training, shift into overdrive, and race down the road toward burn-out. Along the way, we begin our battle, declare war on reality, and wonder why we can’t have our heart’s desire right now.

If your days are like mine, my schedule sometimes consumes every waking moment. Keeping yourself off the casualty list when everything goes sideways is often about your perspective. We want good things to happen, and it is the main impetus behind the work. There is no reason to carry the burden alone. It is ok to ask for help. Asking is difficult, and it hurts my soul, chips my ego, and proves I am human.

The human condition embraces ambition, the need to leave a mark, improve our life, and lend a hand to others. A packed calendar is my ticket to making improvements possible, and being dead dog tired at day’s end ensures a decent night’s sleep. I find when I have a compelling reason, I run a decent chance that help will arrive at my door. Besides, it is better than sliding into cruise control and binging Netflix.

What reason drives your busy schedule?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

My daily writing periods are an opportunity to sow idea seeds. I prepare my space, set the conditions, and hope for a positive outcome.

Seeds come in a vast array of sizes, colors, and shapes. An epiphytic orchid has the tiniest seed. This baby at 1/300th of an inch (85 micrometers) and 1/35,000,000th of an ounce (0.81 micrograms) is not visible to the naked human eye. From the mother plant, they float in the air, and with luck, they find a home with an ideal environment in the rainforest’s upper canopy, perfect for germination within a month or two.

Over dour decades, a giant redwood attains heights of 100 feet and begins with a small 1/8-inch-long seed. The world’s largest seed belongs to the Coco de Mer Palm, which weighs in at almost 40 pounds with a circumference of 3 feet. The seed reaches maturity in 6-7 years and needs an additional two years to germinate. Mung beans are about the size of a pea and sprout by day five, ready to add to your salad.

I never know the precise identity of the concept I select until I sit to write. Some ideas drift with the wind. Is it a fluke they discover me, take root, grow, and deliver an exotic blossom? Other stories are epic, and they anchor themselves deep in the ground before soaring skyward. Some require heavy lifting, never-ending endurance, and the ability to imagine a far distant future. The cosmos sometimes delivers my fiction in a flash and by the bucket load. Images explode, words overflow, filled pages become a deluge, and my writing sessions run past the appointed stop time.

How do you nurture your idea seeds?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Inspiration and creativity are indelibly linked. Inspiration materializes from the ether, exploding like St. Elmo’s Fire. The event is awe-inspiring, and it forges a connection to powerful energies and the motivation to create. You emerge with certainty, clarity, and a vision. A concept to launch your project, intuition on how to proceed or a novel way to complete your task is the product of your transcendental experience.

Recreating the encounter is an exercise in futility, and chasing it makes it more elusive. When I hit a wall, the best solution is to step away from my screen and do something else. I have a laundry list of preferred activities. I shovel snow, do yoga, walk outside, indulge in a hot bath, or brew a pot of coffee to sip with fresh baked red velvet cake. Ideas have struck while weeding, crocheting, arranging a bouquet, listening to the wind dancing in the trees, and feeling the sun warm my skin.

Some writers report success with reading, finding quiet moments, immersing themselves in nature, or engaging in other creative pursuits. I have discovered taking risks helps me tap into my source. I often start a new project without knowing what I am doing. By creating high failure potential, I cause the cosmos to take notice. The payoff comes when a story appears, the entire piece written in my mind before my fingers ever touch the keyboard. The common thread is a willingness to let go, play, and consider possibilities hidden within the realm of the seemingly impossible.

Where do you find inspiration?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer