Ringing in the New Year - Shutting Out the Noise

I usually end the year with a post about what I've accomplished in the outgoing year, and what I hope to accomplish in the year to come. This year I really haven't blogged much. I shared in shorter bursts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, outlets that don't require a lot of writing or deep thought, and saved what little writing time I had for my book, stealing moments here and there throughout the year. I miss blogging very much. Many things came between me and my writing this year. I should say, I allowed many things to come in between me and my writing. I was feeling down about it for a while, but have since come to the conclusion that this was a phase I had to go through. There were things that I wanted to do this year, and they took a lot of my time and energy. I wanted to buy a house and establish a foundation. [gallery ids="6525,6693,6678" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"] I wanted to produce a successful event for work that people would remember. [gallery ids="6676,6675" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"] I wanted to go to Israel, where I was born, where my mother is buried, where I have family and friends whom I haven't seen in many years. [gallery ids="6715,6714,6713,6712,6711,6710,6708,6706,6684,6683,6681,6680,6679" type="rectangular"] I toyed with the idea of adopting a second dog, and then did so on a whim during the busiest period of the year. I'll post more about Gracie later. In the meantime, here she is (on left) with Ruby about four weeks after I adopted her.

I wanted to see a lot of art. [gallery ids="6720,6721,6722,6723,6724,6725,6726,6727,6728,6729,6730,6731,6732" type="rectangular"]

(Pictured are works by Louise Bourgeois, Ad Reinhardt, Ruth Asawa, and Kenny Scharf)

All these things I did, plus lots of hiking. [gallery ids="6701,6700,6699,6698,6703,6677" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"] It was a productive year but not a writing year. In my free time, I mostly watched television, went out with friends or traveled, all good things to do but not conducive to writing. The time has come to once and for all make writing a priority. I still have two part-time jobs, two dogs, many friends and responsibilities. But I'm changing how I approach life, how I see myself, and what I do in my free time. Starting with this weekend. I signed off of social media and, after I publish this blog post, will be completely offline for the next three days. I'll log in again on Tuesday morning. Save for one meeting at my house tomorrow morning, I have cleared my schedule for the entire weekend. I have no plans to go out New Years Eve. I will hike, but that's how I clear my mind and get the dogs to sleep all afternoon. I am sequestering myself not only to write, but also to think and get centered without the constant noise of life. There's a coffee shop/bar just down the street, in case I get lonely. But I don't think I will.  I am craving quiet, alone time. Zero obligations and distractions. Minimal time in my car, on the phone, watching television. As a writer, this is how I get my head straight. I'll report back next week. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, as well as a safe New Years Eve. See you on the other side. xoxo