Holy crap, it's been two and a half years!

[kasiandra]

It's been too long to recap, so I'll just move forward from here. Like you do.

About a year ago, my eldest graduated high school and I got some time back. She had a medically difficult high school experience which wound up being time-consuming for everyone, especially her. I didn't realize this until she was done and off to college. She's now finished her first year, has learned A LOT about herself, and is home for the summer. Things are good.

Just under a year ago I joined a gym and changed my life. I had my own diagnosis to fight, and fight it I did. It's gone. It may come back again if I get lazy or complacent about my health, but I don't see that happening. In December, my gym launched a Holiday Accountability Challenge and kind of ripped the face off their agenda of taking over the world with fierce and fabulous Nerds and started talking about things like bullet journals, and super villains, and owning your own life.

Around three months ago, I read a book called "The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield. Borrowed from a friend and surreptitiously not yet returned by me, it shook me and I now tell all my creative friends about it. It spoke clearly and specifically about many things I already kind of knew, and a few I had probably never considered. I heard about it on a podcast and then saw it on my friend's shelf. Kismet/Serendipity.

Since reading this book, I have:

• Registered for a bassoon camp that I've thought about going to for years - I go next week!
• Said yes to an opportunity to play at IDRS this summer!
• Realized I needed to fund at least one of these things so...
• Applied for my first grant, and been FUNDED that grant.
• Asked composer-friends to write new stuff for bassoon quartet and offered to pay them
• Applied for another grant to fund new works for bassoon quartet, which is now in the 2nd round of consideration! (I had to make a video of me talking for this one.. scary!)
• Wrote a kids show for a little concert with an original story that I love
• Asked a lovely hobby painter I know if he'd like to illustrate that story and make a book with me..

This week, my husband gave me Elizabeth Gilbert's "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear". On a whim.
I'm devouring it. It's good. It's powerful in the way that "War of Art" is powerful. It's shaking preconceptions and knocking down obstacles.

What on earth will I wind up doing next?