During the Fourth of July weekend, my husband and I went to the movies THREE TIMES. We saw the new Spider-Man movie, Midsommar, and The Last Black Man in San Francisco. We also watched the entire third season of Stranger Things.
By Sunday I felt guilty about all that screen time and was beating myself up for not using the weekend to do more reading and writing. But when I got a last-minute freelance assignment that Monday the piece I wrote for the assignment was an essay inspired by one of the movies I’d watched over the weekend. Thanks to the inspiration from that film the words flowed from my fingers effortlessly.
I remembered that this is exactly why I love when other writers share the things they’re currently into and why I occasionally do the same on this blog. Pop culture can be a cornucopia of creative inspiration.
So it’s time for another edition of Currently, a feature for which I share what I’m currently watching, reading, listening to, writing, feeling, planning, and loving.
Watching: Big Little Lies, Queen Sugar, and Queen of the South. Even though I know I need to be reading more and watching less TV, I don’t feel guilty for watching these shows because the characters are so well developed and the plots so carefully crafted. And all three shows were inspired by books. (Plus, due to my hearing impairment I watch television with the closed captions on so technically I am reading. I’m just saying…)
Related Reading: Should Writers Give Up Television?
Reading: The Morning After by C.J. Wade. C.J. is the See Jane Write Collective Member of the Month and this inspirational novel is all about putting life back together when it all falls apart. It’s about finding your “morning after” after the darkest of nights. You can learn more here. And if you’re in the Birmingham area join me on Tuesday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Panera Bread in Gardendale for a book talk with C.J. We’ll discuss the book but we’ll also talk about her writing process and self-publishing journey. If you’re thinking about writing and publishing a book of your own, you don’t want to miss this! RSVP here.
Related Reading: Member of the Month: C.J. Wade
Listening: Homecoming by Beyonce. Yes, I have been listening to this over and over since April. No, I don’t care if you’re judging me for this.
Writing: I’m working on stories for StyleBlueprint, Birmingham magazine, and The Birmingham Times and working on pitches to a few websites and national print magazines.
Feeling: Anxious. I’m about a month and a half into my journey as a full-time freelance writer and entrepreneur. Even though things are fine right now I’m anxious about my financial future. But I know this is normal. I’m also anxious, or should I say eager, to do all the things. I have SO many writing, blogging, and business goals and now that this is my full-time job I want to do it all RIGHT NOW. But I have to keep reminding myself: You can do it all but not all at once.
Related Reading: So…I Quit My Job!
Planning: The rest of 2019. I’m excited about the remainder of the year. Next month, I plan to have a See Jane Write Collective membership drive. In September, I’ll be launching my first freelance writing e-course. October will be all about teaching you my life scheduling and content planning tips and tricks. In November, I’ll host another round of #BlogLikeCrazy (when I encourage my readers to blog every day for 30 days). And in December we’re going to start getting ready for 2020!
Loving: Being my own boss. Despite the anxiety, I LOVE being a full-time writerpreneur. The freedom to plan how I will spend each hour of each day is absolutely priceless and every day I feel I live in a world of infinite possibilities.
What are you into currently?