I'm a little under the weather today - bit of an upset stomach thing. It's been coming and going the last couple of weeks. Thus, I'm not sure how profound I'm going to be today.

But that's okay.

One of the most toxic traits of contemporary American culture is the notion that we must always be operating at peak performance. In my profession, that's most noticeable in the following statement I've heard over and over since my 20s: If you're not writing every day, you're not a real writer. I used to buy into that and felt like a failed writer even after I'd published, because some days I didn't do any work.  These days, I make sure to give myself time to not be producing when I'm lagging, either physically or emotionally.

In thinking about it, that's becoming rarer and rarer these days as I've begun to separate the writing from being a writer. Understanding that those are two different things has helped me revel in the joy of writing, regardless of what may or may not come of it later. Purely writing is fun for me. Even now, as my guts are churning a little, I'm having a decent time thinking through my keyboard. It may even distract from the discomfort a bit. Earlier, I did a bit of writing on my table in the front yard, but that's because I wanted to, not because I felt this pressure to produce despite not being 100%.

When I'm in "writing" mode, I also focus on writing that I'm interested in doing at that time. I've got a bunch of "being a writer" writing to take care of, but that can wait. I'll tackle "being a writer" stuff when I'm feeling better. Just like I set myself the task of writing a poem a day for a year, starting on my birthday. Due to my stomach stuff and an ongoing personal thing that's sending my emotions all over the place, I haven't been keeping up with the poem-a-day thing. I've done some, but not daily. Since that's definitely not a "being a writer" project, it's totally cool to let that slide. I'm not even going to break myself to "catch up." Instead, the journal isn't going to be a poem-a-day journal. Now, it's just my poetry journal, and I'll still write poems in it when I'm feeling like doing a poem for fun or catharsis as needed.

I've made this musing a bit about me on the surface, but it's not just about me. Good writers approach the universal through the specific. I'm talking about writing while dealing with stomach pain and that other personal thing going on. Some people are trying to maintain a healthy home life while juggling multiple jobs. Some people are trying to get a college degree while being single parents. Some people are trying to build their own business while dealing with an aging parent. It's always something.

We hear over and over again how these amazingly successful people did it all and managed to become big success stories by buckling down and hustling through all adversity. I'd put money down that they got more help than they're willing to acknowledge. But putting that aside, those are rare individuals. The rest of us need rest every now and then. So, when life starts lifing, the way it always does, be kind to yourself and take the time to rest. Don't be ashamed of doing those frivolous recharging activities that bring you joy. For me, it's video games, dancing, and trivia nights. It used to include poetry open mics, but those wandered firmly into "being a writer" territory, and while I still do them, they seem more like part of the job than something I do for fun. (And I've been going to fewer of them.) Don't fall into the trap of giving up things you love because they take time away from 'Important stuff that matters more."

I just considered the proverb from last week's musing, "Be not afraid of going slowly, be only afraid of standing still." Rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation are part of going slowly. If you don't get them, you're more likely to burn out. When you burn out, you're definitely standing still.