I have to say the Oxford definition of persistence “firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition” has certainly been descriptive of me and my writing of the last few years.
I can either write blog and poems or read blogs and comment on others, not both, but I persist.
I can either write my own fanfiction or read and comment on the works of other’s, not both, but I persist.
I can also paint or draw, but not both. Unfortunately, that particular outlet has fallen – if not necessarily by the wayside, definitely down quite a number of rungs on the ladder, but I persist.
Yet even while I’m in the kitchen making lemon bars from scratch, I’ll be damned if Erato, Calliope, and even Melpomene won’t suddenly spark an idea in my brain that wants to be written down RIGHT NOW. And naturally Polymnia wants a visual of it that my mind can see, but regretfully my talent and patience cannot always procure to my satisfaction, but I persist.
To write or to read or to comment or to paint or to bake or to any of the several creative outlets that I try to enjoy has been both a bane and a blessing. A blessing that I can, to highly varying levels of proficiency by my eyes, do all of the above. A bane, because I cannot do all of the above all at once.
I know! I know! How DARE I be only human!
Only human in a small apartment where one corner of my dining room does double duty as my office when I work remotely and my creative writing station for blogging/poems/story writing, another as my painting crafts station, the third corner a multi-utility station and the fourth corner is my window and closet. Oddly enough what my dining table has not been used for in ages is that thing called you know dining.
Still, I can’t / refuse to call it my studio, because I cannot afford, never mind actually fit a kiln in it to pursue the glass and metal creative work that remains in my head.
Though it’s my fanfiction that gets most of my creative time, sans the items in need of a kiln, I doggedly try to indulge in all of my various creative outlets. Thus why I have chosen persistence as my one not-so-little word for this year.
I’m determined to somehow find a balance where my blog does not suffer as much this year as it has in past couple of years. Let’s see just how persistent I can be.
Slice of Life – Tuesday Writing Challenge – Two Writing Teachers
Come see how others are slicing it up this first Tuesday of the New Year.
Raivenne-lations 
But… did you finish the lemon bars?
LOL! Yes, I did, eventually. They were delish!
Ok. I am sure you know me well enough to know that of all the things you mention in this post the thing that caught my eye was “lemon bars”. Persistence is a great word. To me it indicates a willingness to try even if things don’t go as planned or as we see them working out in our mind. I am sure that with this word you will accomplish more than you think…even if not all at the same time.
Thanks! I started making them from scratch pre-Covid and have not be able to make the boxed stuff since.
As for the rest? I’m persistently pursuing one creative pursuit to peruse at any given time. 😉
What a great post, Raivenne. Like the other commenters, I did happen to catch my eye on the lemon bars. Probably because baking is one of my favorite creative outlets.
You know, your post really has me thinking. We talk so often about finding our keeping our sense of *humanity* but we get so frustrated with ourselves for being so darn HUMAN. How. On earth. IS that? I’m really wrestling with this one, and I might just have to add it to my ever-growing list of stuff to blog about.
Thanks, as always, for such an insightful post.
Hah! “keeping our sense of *humanity* but we get so frustrated with ourselves for being so darn HUMAN.” is perhaps the most oxymoronic facet of being human. Thanks Lanie.
Mmm, lemon bars! I am so happy that you persist, my friend. Happy for you and inspired by you. Keep on keeping on … and maybe next time we get together, there will be lemon bars? ❤
Oh, and I am all about the barter system. I’ll trade you lemon bars for lemon white chocolate chip cookies! 🙂
Oh that’s a deal! 😀
Aww thanks, that inspiration is reciprocated, my dear. With enough warning. maybe next time indeed – why not?
Words as delicious as these— how could they not speak to my listening mind? They do! Naturally.
And what a fantastic word you selected as your one-word👏 Nothing little about it.
I’m like you (well, I cannot write as eloquently… you know what I mean 🙈) but I overwhelm myself attempting more than one “body” can accomplish. As if! Still, I persist.
This is lovely writing that gets the meaning across beautifully. Thanks for sharing. All the best. xo
“…but I overwhelm myself attempting more than one “body” can accomplish.” Goodness knows that is the truth!
Thank you Selma, All the best to you as well as we persist in pursuing our talents.