Dancing with the muse...
My monthly gratitude post is all about taking stock of the moments of joy--big and small--as a writing mamma. Come and share a few glimmers with me.
Are you ready to fill that well with some gratitude, friends and book devourers?!
Hunting for glimmers is a creative practice I’m committing to, not just as an artist, but as a human being as well. Every month I’ll post a few glimmers that have brought joy to my life, a sense of connection, or deepened my connection to the Muse. In sharing these with you, I hope you’ll join me in hunting for your own precious moments.
Want to know more about glimmers and how this series came about? Check out how this segment of my newsletter came about on Miri and the Muse.
Glimmer No. 1: LOVE ON THE BEACH
Oh my gosh. LOVE ON THE BEACH book signing was such a wonderful experience that I don’t even know where to start with the gushing...
Not only did I get to go on an epic Aussie roadtrip with my husband and kiddos, I also had an absolute blast staying at the Hilton in Surfer’s Paradise while attending this signing. (Seriously, if you ever stay at this hotel, make sure you book breakfast… It is absolutely divine!)
On the day of the signing itself, I met so many awesome new-to-me readers, while catching up with readers and authors from around Australia who never fail to inspire me. Plus, they give really good hugs.
Then last, but definitely not least, I got to hang out with one of my dearest friends in the whole wide world. She came down from Brisbane especially just to spend the day with me. I hadn’t seen her since before the pandemic and it made my heart so happy to spend a whole day catching up on love, life and everything in between.
Oh, and I sold out of a bunch of my stock. That was definitely a first… and absolute thrill!
Glimmer No 2: THE KITCHEN SHIMMY
Bet you didn’t expect that one... lol.
My second glimmer was a personal victory that made me shimmy in my kitchen.
We got our stove back!
Owning a new home is a freaking amazing journey, but it comes with its own challenges. Lately, it’s felt like we’ve been navigating the whole gamut. From a leaky roof, to fences and decks that need major TLC, to an electric stove which suddenly gave up the ghost…
It was quite an experience having two months to come up with interesting recipes to cook with just a sandwich grill, a pressure cooker and a microwave.
Hence the shimmy of victory when I realized I could finally, finally make one of our favorite family dinners again… ravioli!
Glimmer No. 3: LIGHTNING STRIKE
Honestly, this has to be celebrated as one of my favorite glimmers bringing me joy this month. WEATHER WITCH—book two of the KNIGHTS OF DESTRUCTION—is starting to pour out of me and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Fresh sequences are dragging my ass out of bed and back to page after midnight; characters are dogging my heels on the drive to and from school, growling at me to hightail it back to my laptop; and new tidbits of insanely delicious dialogue or outrageously raucous clubhouse scenes are floating through my mind as I go about my daily chores, making me giggle like a loon in random places.
Honestly, I am so relieved to feel the urge to write again that I could cry.
Real talk. As a writer and artist, sometimes these moments of drought can feel endless. The creative well inside feels so dry, in fact, that you start to convince yourself that you’re gonna die in that desert, never to dance in the rain again.
Dramatic, I know, but it’s a cycle I’ve come to realize most artists go through. Whether its a regular part of their process or something that only hits once in a blue moon, sooner or later we all hit rock bottom.
With that in mind, I’ve made myself a promise.
Rather than hide from this time of nadda, zilch, nothing, I’m trying to embrace it. Take these dry spells as invitations from the Universe to fill my life up with other things which make me happy. To treat myself, as it were, to time in nature and spent with the people I love.
Like devouring a really, really juicy book which I’ve been waiting on for months to come out; or binge-watching an awesome fantasy series; or going for a coastal adventure walk with my family; or calling a friend or family member I haven’t talked to for far too long; or just soaking up a few moments of quiet bliss, swimming laps in an ocean rock pool.
Not only do these sorts of things keep me busy and ensure I’m connecting with something bigger than myself, they also help refresh and rejuvenate me, so that when the next lightning bolt of inspiration strikes I’m ready to grab hold of it with two hands.
Whether I’m diving head first in a perfectly executed swan dive into the calm waters of my work-in-progress or if I’m stumbling tits-over-ass into that black hole of my next creative endeavor, I am trying to embrace this process… no matter how messy it gets.
And usually, by the time the next story has me in its grips, I’m just left feeling freaking lucky that I got to see that little spark of inspiration start to take shape on the blank page in front of me.
Have you had a moment like this recently? Where something that just wouldn’t suddenly started to flow? Tell me about it in the comments below!
What’s up next?!
I’m thinking that in my next newsletter here at MIRI AND THE MUSE I need to do something to celebrate the return of these kooky characters who are inhabiting the Knights of Destruction and their off-kilter shifter motorcycle club.
Who’s ready for a sneak peek at the cover of WEATHER WITCH and maybe a cheeky snippet of whatever madness is going on?!
With love,
M.S. xox
I thunk your glimmer posts are my favorite ❤️ your joy is infectious. I'm so glad you're feeling called to the page again.
Those dry spells might just be the universe telling you to take a step back to breathe. While I’m jumping for joy for the next book, your wellbeing is so much more important. I love these little glimmers, it really helps me focus on finding positives and not dwell on negatives. That ravioli looks fantastic! 💕