It's Oh So Quiet

Hey Everyone,

While I have communicated with many members of the Stop Writing Alone community and, of course, the crew in the current season of the Stop Writing Alone Happy Campers Club, my current “radio silence” in the Substack community, on my podcast and on the my YouTube channel may still be a thing of mystery for most of you.

I was recently diagnosed with Shingles. It is not the first time I have danced with this devil, but this run has been a bit more twisty and turn-y than I remember from our first tango six years ago. I have skipped podcast production and YouTube production thinking, This week of rest is all I need to get back on my feet! Only to be knocked back down 48 hours later. So I am taking this opportunity in a Stop Writing Alone Happy Campers Write-in, to wave my white flag (possibly constructed out of my many blank, unwritten NaNoWriMo pages), and acknowledge the quiet in this space.

I want you know I have not fallen victim to the dreaded “podfade” we podcasters have nightmares of, and that I have not been silenced under the weight of a mystical writer’s block. I am simply trying very hard to take my own advice in listening to my body.

In late Summer/early Fall, I spent my days pouring over the draft of the Stop Writing Alone book. The book discusses many aspects of writing community, but the one that the Universe is currently testing me with is the section on self care. It may seem like an odd inclusion in a book about writing, but I truly believe that to show up for our writing and our writing communities we must first show up for ourselves. In the chapter currently titled “Self Care for Success” I wrote,

Your body is your creative engine, it must be fueled and serviced properly if you want it to continue to run. Whether this is for group creation and maintenance or for your own writing, the rules remain the same. 

I happen to think the rules are simple (please note that I believe simple is very different than easy)

There are three pillars of self care that are of pivotal importance for all writers and writing community leaders to have in place:

Physical Self Care

Emotional Self Care

Creative Self Care

We all feel when one of these pillars is out of balance, but we may not always know how to reinforce it.

My physical self care is currently way out of balance and I am working to reinforce it the best way I know how. Here’s another blurb,

Our physical self care does not require us to take long bubble baths surrounded by candles while sipping wine, or scheduling regular “treat yo’ self” weekends where you lavish yourself with goods and goodies without guilt (it should be noted that I do believe both of these activities have a time and place in a joy-filled life). Physical self care involves paying attention to three pivotal pieces of our life in order to activate our own individual super powers. 

The three keys are

We must eat right

We must sleep right

We must exercise

In the event of a sickness, seeking professional medical treatment for the diagnosed problem while giving my body the slow-motion lifestyle it needs to find its way back to healthy is another tool I have found pivotal to my long-term success.

I’ve walked this walk before, however, I often avoid post like this until I have a definitive, “Everything will be back in running order on: ______!” And, if I am being honest with myself, I think I started this post with the intention of giving myself such a deadline because, while I am a huge believer in the art of self care, I am still a novice. I am still learning.

Rather than a definitive date of return to normal, I can offer you this

I apologize that I have been unable to be your loudest, proudest cheerleader in this month of binge-worthy writing. I am looking forward to bringing my best self back to you, the whole community, and myself as soon as I can.

In the meantime, please take care of yourself as well!

Nicole :)