Just write. Or, at least think.

I’ve been meaning to write a blog post for months. But, I haven’t felt like I had anything worthwhile to say. It feels like my words, these posts, should carry some sort of weight. They should be entertaining or inspirational or just downright delightful. But, that is also kind of daunting.

I’ve been working with my own kids on making mistakes. On being okay with learning the messy way. Being okay with creating for the mere sake of exploring. But I’ve been holding back from that myself.

Sometimes I have a hard time committing things to paper. I like to blame not having enough time or energy or focus. And, all of those are valid, especially with school starting back up a couple of weeks ago. And, you know, all the other stuff still going on? I haven’t been putting things on paper. But, you know what I have been doing? Turning little snapshots into little snippets.

For example, I noticed a cobweb on my ceiling the other day. Gross. Cue dramatic sigh. I wish I could keep everything tidier and neater and all around presentable. I wish my house were picture perfect. But, from a character and/or setting standpoint, that would be pretty boring. What would a cobweb say about a setting? What emotions would it evoke in different people or characters?

Is it possible a child character might find it heartwarming that their parent respects spiders and is willing to keep their homes intact? After all, we’re supposed to treat others with kindness. What might that inspire a child to do?

Would a questioning middle grade child consider the delicate fragility of that cobweb? Be inspired by its beauty or its strength?

Would a visiting teenage friend be jealous that someone else’s parents focused on spending time with their children instead of obsessed with making everything appear perfect when it feels so far from okay?

It’s fun to get carried away creating settings, characters, snippets of dialogue and description. And, when there’s not enough time or focus or energy to put things down on paper, it’s okay to just enjoy playing with observations and thoughts. Immerse yourself in the possibilities around you and see where they might lead.