Rest and reset
What this writer's been up to lately
I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump recently. At least, writing-wise.
I didn’t post last week, even if I wasn’t sick, depressed, or overly busy.
It bothered me for a bit, especially since I already took a big break earlier this year. And as a creature of habit, it bugged me that I wasn’t going to be able to make my weekly post.
But then I realized — ah, it is what it is! No use forcing words that won’t come, shoehorning a topic into my content calendar, pushing myself for something that isn’t even my day job or part of some course I’ve already paid for. And I probably pushed pretty hard on the last two pieces, which were both quite heavy to write.
So here’s what I’ve been doing instead, as a sort of reset.
Went to a gig-for-a-cause for the kid of one of Paul’s coffee friends
As a homebody-introvert-child-of-strict-parents-on-a-budget, I don’t really go to live music events (or any late-night events, really). But this afternoon/early-evening concert was a cool new experience for me! :) Yay for new music and yummy food with my forever date!
Did errands and went on a random Tuesdate with Paul
What started out as a trip to the notary’s office became a spontaneous date! Paul treated me to street barbecue near my house (my parents wouldn’t let me do this growing up because of the risk of hepatitis). Then we stopped by two cafes owned by people from the Marikina community. The salted egg pasta and sticky mango rice breve above are from Alab, before that we also had flatbread and Peach Mango Americano at BCGC.
Put in some ukulele practice
I have a ukulele and a MIDI keyboard, and growing up I had an electric organ. I don’t always pick them up though, but this past week seemed as good a time as any since I wasn’t writing. Always nice to get back into the mode of remembering finger positions.
Watched a movie on Netflix
I’m more of a series person, so my setting aside time to watch a movie is…infrequent. Not enough to warrant a Letterboxd account. I haven’t even been to the cinema since the pre-pandemic era! Come to think of it, it was Mommy who would plan out movie dates with me and my sister, and with me being swamped at home with chores etc., I don’t even have the energy to dress up and head to the mall and spend P300+ on tickets.
Oh, and I watched Freedom Writers without checking it out on Wikipedia. And that is something I rarely ever do. I’m glad it was a nice flick! Reminds me of Dead Poets Society/Mona Lisa Smile. :)
On top of these, I also took care of my usual chores (cooking, cleaning, gardening, pet care, training my dog), my day job, workouts, and my ongoing series: Naruto.
Sooooo hopefully soon my brain will rewire back into its usual self 💜
How do you like to rest and reset during a dip in creative energy? Let’s talk in the comments!