Seems like no better time to start writing again, huh?
My little break was brought to you by my building a small business. Plus, I don’t have to tell you, writing isn't just time-consuming, it can be mentally challenging. You mean put your messy thoughts into coherent sentences? Sounds near impossible. But look at me go!
And now that we have all kinds of time, stuck in our homes, away from one another, why not subject our minds to the madness again?
I know you didn’t decide to read this, hoping to hear more about the global pandemic. That was so last week, am I right? Let me tell you about a book I recently read - Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. It's one of those books successful writers always recommend and it’s easy to see why. Bird by Bird is about writing and the writing process, mostly. But like any good book, you can find more, reading between the lines.
Lamott tells a lot of great stories to illustrate her advice, but it’s the title that offers the stuff we need. When Anne was younger, her brother waited too long to start an elementary school project, cataloging and reporting on dozens of different birds. With despair, the night before it was due, he hung his head over his notes, unable to fathom how he could possibly finish in time. And Anne’s father came over to console him through the mess, and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”
When I started to think I wanted to write again, I didn’t know where to begin. But the idea of going bird by bird made me realize I don’t need to sort it all out right now. (My apologies to your eyeballs and attention span if it takes me a while to get going.) Being an expert is not the point. As Lamott writes, “The act of writing turns out to be it’s own reward.” Instead, writing can be seen as the practice of paying attention, of being conscious.
And if you’re using this gift of consciousness to think about all the ways the world is fucked up right now, you might want to consider changing your mind. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is possible. Consider the other end of the spectrum. Just a few days ago, we didn’t think twice about the distance we kept from strangers. We didn’t wash our hands nearly as much and we didn’t hold our collective breath, rushing through the grocery store, hoping for a bean burrito restock.
Things have changed, and even though it’s not for the best right now, it means it’s possible things can change again.
We have the option to take the time and notice all the good too, like how great it is to wake up without a fever and a run-of-the-mill thirty-something body. Or how precious other people are when it comes to doing the things we like to do, like sharing meals or wrestling. Or how much money we can save cooking some spaghetti at home every once and a while.
I know I’m just explaining the idea of changing your perspective, but that’s the whole thing, the big idea.
And if you’re having trouble seeing the good left in the world, just pay attention. The birds are still singing. Right in our faces. Not a clue to how offensive their cheerfulness can be.
Why not see it as material?
Why not make the most of this?
Bird by stupid, singing bird.
With that, let's check out some of the best finds of the week:
It was everywhere this past week, but if you didn’t catch Charles Cornell’s piano accompaniments (here & here) to Cardi B, you didn’t realize how bad you needed them.
I'm no scientist, but this looks like a bit of good news handling the pandemic - fast-tracking a way to test folks.
I’ve been working from home and I know Marc Rebillet is too. He has a giant catalog of dropping funky loops and hilarious, half-improvised lyrics.
Goddamnit, I got sucked into Love is Blind by the end of the first episode, and it’s good. Get at me.
Need something else on Netflix? Saw Love is Blind already? Okay, try Iron fists and kung fu kicks. It’s a break-neck sprint through the history of kung fu flicks, from China to the West, through breakdancing, parkour, and the ubiquity of online video.
Need a new quarantine project? Make some tiny zines with Austin Kleon (video). Send ‘em to your friends!