Ease Lessons for Writers
In your writing life, no matter how hard you work or how well you plan, things won't always unfold the way you'd hoped. In Ease Lessons for Writers, we explore what gets in the way of our writing, why that happens, and why it matters. Together we learn how to make our writing easier and more joyful. I'm your host, Monna McDiarmid, a writer and coach based in Japan and Nova Scotia. Website: monnamcdiarmid.com/ | Newsletter: monnamcdiarmid.com/subscribe/ | Instagram: @monnamcdiarmidwrites/ | Patreon: @MonnaMcDiarmid
Ease Lessons for Writers
28. Lala Hulse (Season 3, Episode 1/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: LALA HULSE
Today's episode is my first conversation with Lala Hulse, an artist and musician who is trying to get her creative life back together after moving halfway around the world during a pandemic. She believes everyone can draw and everyone can sing.
Thanks for this conversation, Lala.
HOMEWORK INVITATIONS FROM TODAY'S CONVERSATION
1. You are tired
a) Create a symbolic grieving ritual that captures your exhaustion and indicates to the Universe that you’d like a little help with this. Your ritual might involve fire, air, water, or Earth.
b) Be gentle with yourself. This does not come naturally to most of us. Treat yourself and speak to your tired self the way you would to your beloved people.
c) Get a good night’s sleep. Nap. Eat well. Use the good moisturizer on your skin. Take breaks in your workday. (You can set an alarm, so you remember to go back to work). Go outside. Hug trees etc.
2. Your Future Self Has No Art
What’s the tiniest promise you could make to your future self about making art now? Write it down and then set it to music so you can sing it to yourself.
3. Love-tricking
It’s true. You will need to love-trick yourself. I'm sorry about that!
I wonder if you might make an artist date with yourself for two or three nights a week on a night that your wife is preparing dinner. You could give yourself an amount of time (15 minutes, for example) as a place to start and if you feel like drawing for longer than that, go with it. Put these dates in yours and your wife's calendars so she knows when they’re happening.
4. Art-Friends
When Covid allows, take an in-person class, or join a club/group where you meet other artists and potential friends. Friends and sleep have a very high return on investment.
5. A question to consider:
What does work-life balancing look like right now?
A few years ago I wrote this piece called The Womanly Art of Leaning Out. It’s about the idea that for most of us, 80 percent is good enough. It's got some important ideas for you.
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ABOUT EASE LESSONS:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license
Editor: Damien Pitter
Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Writer, Coach and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid
