#16: on longterm care work
Good morning,
We’ve begun the final 12 weeks of 2020. It’s been a busy last month. Here are a few short thoughts and links on what I’ve been paying attention to lately.
Longterm Writing (And Reading)
Writing a book is unlike writing anything else. I was one of those procrastinators in college who would deliver something by staying up all night to get it done. I’ve always worked best in high pressure bursts. Which is definitely not how writing a book works, despite the fact that I’ve somehow ended up on every list of people who market crash courses in book writing. Writing a book like living with a roommate in your brain. At times you love them and want to talk endlessly to them. At other times you just want to be left alone, but their presence is in the air, and you can’t fully relax because you aren’t alone. And most of the time, you just have to show up at the desk.
Nonetheless, I believe everyone who is living with a roommate in their brain (of any kind) should invest time into cultivating some creative work out of the relationship and see what happens. If you need inspiration:
We just produced an episode of the podcast on Buddhism and Creativity with some pretty clear advice on art that I’m trying my best to follow myself.
I’m enjoying Adler Mortimer’s How to Read a Book; it’s detailed, but if you’re a reader or a wannabe reader, it’s valuable perspective.
For the next 10 weeks, I’m participating in Be On Deck’s Writing Fellowship, which just kicked off, so expect to see some changes and experimentation with this newsletter along the way. But most importantly, go check out the world of newsletter writers on Substack.
Longterm Care Work
In the spirit of living with things for a long time, continuous inquiry feels like a relationship, and relationships are often the basis of longterm care work. For those of you reading who are caretakers of any kind, you know there’s no such thing as clocking out. I’m deeply inspired by people who take care of others around the clock. It’s one of the hardest things to do.
There has been tons in the media about pandemic parenting lately, but here are some other takes on care work I’ve been paying attention to.
Working Daughter, which is a community (on FB) that formed around Liz O’Donnell’s book (about navigating care for growing children, aging parents and a career at the same time), is one of the most authentic, moving, honest corners of the internet I’ve witnessed.
Atlas of Caregiving designs tools for people to better assess and talk about how they care for themselves and others. For those who enjoy visualization, these are interesting to check out.
Carework Network runs one of my favorite new listservs (it’s not new, I am new to it), so for those interested in following research and organizing in the space, highly recommend. I’ll be sure to share pieces I find valuable.
12 More Weeks + 9 Years In the Decade
So yes, there are 12 weeks left in 2020. And then 9 more years left in the decade. All this, and perhaps finally realizing the volatility of the news cycle isn’t going change anytime soon, has left me feeling ready for some horizons.
In my own little combination of bringing writing and care together, I’ve joined Girls Write Now as a mentor, which means I’ll be working on a writing portfolio (and navigating our writer lives) together with a high school student throughout the year.
And in the spirit of balancing all the projects, I’m using two new tools this season, if anyone is looking for some fresh ones:
If you’re a paper planner person and haven’t tried the Passion Planner but feel ready to start setting some goals for the next 3 months or 3 years, check it out. It was designed and launched (originally on Kickstarter) by a college grad dealing with anxiety and carries that authenticity in its structure.
If you’re a digital writer, I’ve been enjoying writing on Notion (using it for daily prompts and also chapters) and suggest you go see the world of templates for some inspiration, so that even if your thoughts aren’t so organized, they can look like they are and you can keep going.
With warm wishes and a belated welcome to Autumn (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere),
Jihii