I feel like I haven’t been here forever. Between escaping for Labor Day Weekend, football drafts, and visiting children, the world has curiously slipped around me. My fellow bloggers Ittymac (http://ittymac.wordpress.com) and Hugmamma (http://hugmamma.com) and Coochie Mama (http://andrawatkins.com) and the Philosopher (http://moviewriternyu.wordpress.com) have fortunately carried on the ways of the world, but I feel I have a lot to catching up to do.
I often talk about my Muse. She’s a feisty Irish lass that pops onto my shoulder at the most inopportune times with ideas and opinions and story lines. So where was she when I was in Wisconsin’s Door County for four days? DId she go on vacation too? Why is it that often when I find myself with a big chunk of time, all I want to do is sit and listen to the wind blow through the treetops or zone out on TV?
Sitting at a campground. The hubby and family went off to the beach. I stayed behind to watch the dogs. They were tied up, quiet. I was full from a slice of sub, it was peace and quiet. There were even sporadic clouds to break the summer sunlight. I was ready. OK — so there wasn’t a lot of phone signal near the Lake Michigan campground. No problem. And my laptop’s keys were sticking and the computer was slow. And the spiral notebook I put in my bag was a little damp from a bottle that leaked water. Minor setbacks to a woman who has a list of engaging, entertaining, mind blowing things to write.
Yet there I sat. Blank brained. Blank faced. The dogs lazily spread out sleeping, and the sound of distant campers tinking in their tent stakes filled the stillness. Before I knew it I was either dozing, staring into the woods, or doodling on the page that was supposed to hold my future writing.
Does this happen to you?
Do you get all snuggly and cozy and ready to read a great book and wind up staring at the blurred pages? Do you pull out all your jewelry making stuff and arrange it all and get ready to create something extraordinary and just stare at your beads? Do you have an idea for a blog, short story, or poem, and when you get to the blank page your mind is blank as well?
Do you have an explanation for this — other than old age?
Tell me your stories. Tell me your solutions.
Now….what was I writing about?
Humoring the Goddess 
Nonono! Now everyone can teeter between my blog and yours! There’s lots of birds of a feather out there!
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Ohhh…trust me…my mind never stops either! I have to get up at 5:30 am for work, and there are nights when my mind chatters until 1 in the morning! I am always thinking, planning, wondering waaaay more than I should be, and none of it is that important! My “Blank Brain” is more a frustration. It’s when I deliberately set aside time for writing, and I find myself struggling to put thought to paper. It’s like my brain shuts down. Which upsets me, cuz when I DO have all these writing ideas it’s either at my desk at work or under the covers at night. I just cant get my circadian rhythm to behave.
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Sorry…my mind never dries up. Wish it did for my family’s sake. I’m always thinking and yapping…thinking and yapping. So you go ahead and enjoy those quiet, “blank-brained” moments. And if you have any to spare…send them my way. I’ve never, ever in my life reveled in a…blank brain. My husband can attest to that. He tells me his mind is always a blank when I ask him what he’s thinking. Go figure… BTW…does that mean you have a blank mind when you sleep? No voice yapping away at what you did that day…or didn’t do…or wish you did…or plan to do? Wow! If you can shut down when your head hits the pillow…consider yourself lucky. I’ve had to learn to meditate. 😦
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OOPS Feel free to delete these two LONG posts that are actually what I posted on my blog….obviously my brain is REALLY not working today! ARGH!!! I give up for today….I shall now return to blank mode!
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Not sure why it would not reblog, even though it said it did, and I tried repeatedly….anyway I had to just use the link. 😦 If you have suggestions or tips re: reblogging please let me know.
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Reblogged this on wantonwordflirt and commented:
When I read Claudia’s blog today, I knew I had to reblog it. What she describes has been happening to me since mid-July! I have been in such a creative funk, struggling to write something… anything… to at least keep my blog going. I have not painted for a minute in over two months. I blame my lack of motivation and ability to be creative the past couple months on two things. Summer is a busy time with extra visitors, weddings to attend, travel, outdoor activities. The second is probably the more likely cause. I have some medical issues (Autoimmune Hepatitis, Sjogren’s Syndrome, and Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease) which cause fatigue, joint and muscle pain, brain fog. I have been having a flare-up of these symptoms, and others, resulting in more than just mere fatigue but at times utter exhaustion this summer.
Some days it is a struggle just to do daily tasks, forget painting and writing. Some days it seems it is hard to get my mind and body in sync. I have great ideas ready to put on the page or the canvas, but my arms, fingers, neck, and / or back hurt. Other days the body is willing, but the mind is blank.
I think the answer, at least for me, is to return to finding “stolen moments” (see an earlier blog by that name), snippets of time in the day to engage in writing or painting even if for only five minutes, knowing the expression and expulsion of what is inside me will be the best medicine.
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Reblogged this on wantonwordflirt and commented:
When I read Claudia’s blog today, I knew I had to reblog it. What she describes has been happening to me since mid-July! I have been in such a creative funk, struggling to write something… anything… to at least keep my blog going. I have not painted for a minute in over two months. I blame my lack of motivation and ability to be creative the past couple months on two things. Summer is a busy time with extra visitors, weddings to attend, travel, outdoor activities. The second is probably the more likely cause. I have some medical issues (Autoimmune Hepatitis, Sjogren’s Syndrome, and Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease) which cause fatigue, joint and muscle pain, brain fog. I have been having a flare-up of these symptoms, and others, resulting in more than just mere fatigue but at times utter exhaustion this summer.
Some days it is a struggle just to do daily tasks, forget painting and writing. Some days it seems it is hard to get my mind and body in sync. I have great ideas ready to put on the page or the canvas, but my arms, fingers, neck, and / or back hurt. Other days the body is willing, but the mind is blank.
I think the answer, at least for me, is to return to finding “stolen moments” (see an earlier blog by that name), snippets of time in the day to engage in writing or painting even if for only five minutes, knowing the expression and expulsion of what is inside me will be the best medicine.
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It has happened to me since mid-July! I have been in such a creative funk, struggling to write something… anything… to at least keep my blog going.
Really appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this subject. Hope it gives you some comfort to know you are not alone. 😉
I decided to reblog this “Blank Brain” post, and give you my explanation (or excuse? lol) on my blog.
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I hear you! If I ever DO get a chance to retire I’m sure there will STILL be missing muse times! Just keep writing….even a poem, a few paragraphs moves you forward!
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I sure hope so. It seems nothing is easy anymore and time is too darned fickle!
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I find I need to be one step ahead of myself these days too. Maybe winter will be our novel writing time!
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I am caught in the middle of a job that rules me, children that have or are going off on their own, a girlfriend (which somehow seems like the wrong term at 60 years of age), that lives too far away, and a cat that ignores me. In between all of those distractions I try and find time to write. But the muse is never there when I want it to be. The sneaky little devil pops up when I can’t possible write.
I keep saying, “when I retire, when I retire” but I suspect other distractions will rise up, unknown to me but just as pervasive. What’s an amateur writer to do??
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Geez. I must have had a senior moment; I thought I replied earlier. I’ve recently been stuck on wide open. My theory is that the heart stent and new meds have the pump at 100%. The body is having a hard time keeping up with the racing mind. I love those blank moments. I really do. I know I’ll slow down in winter. Good blog! Btw, thanks for the plug. I appreciate it. I’m not a high traffic site. Yet. 😊
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