NaNoWriMo and Other Thoughts

It feels good to be blogging right now. I've been taking a break from vlogging due to school, and although I'm glad I've done so, it can be really hard to take a step back from creativity for the sake of sanity, especially when creativity helps keep me sane in the first place. 

I never really use this blog for anything except posting some stories and poems, or book-related stuff, but today I'm just going for it. I feel like I have a lot of random thoughts. 

First: 

NaNoWriMo is here! Glorious November, why must you be my busiest month? (That's an exaggeration. October was definitely my busiest month.) But for real, why can't NaNoWriMo be during the summer, when I have ample time without schoolwork to be writing and thinking and creating? I've heard though that the busier you are the more prolific you will actually be, because you're more prone to forcing yourself to manage time, and that in turn helps you be more productive. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise after all? 

I do have some advice for my fellow NaNos:

Now is not the time for second-guessing. 

I'm serious. No second-guessing, no backspace--nothing like that. This is a sprint. Not a careful curation of words. It's a burst, an outpouring, a vomit of words onto a page that gets you from idea to creation. Genesis to... maybe not quite apocalypse, but maybe halfway there. The hardest part of writing is getting that first draft out there. Everything after that is rewriting, fine-tuning, etc., which inevitably is challenging in its own way. But fine-tunes, rewrites, rearrangements, red pens, are all a labor of love. And there's time for that. For now, just write. 

Second: 

Lately I've been extra into history, literature, and folklore. As these are all intertwined in my major, this is no surprise. But a particular class I'm in right now has been eye-opening to many subject, and I'm feeling a renewed love affair with these subjects. 

Some of the fun/interesting/exciting content I've been ingesting these days: 

The Modern Lives of Medieval Monster Scholars

I'm obsessed with anything that connects old folklore to modern conversation. If we aren't finding those little commonalities, why study old literature and history in the first place? It's "interesting" isn't really a compelling argument for scholarship or academia. It's something more. And this article sums up that need pretty well. 

Unboxed

I've never been into podcasts, but the last couple of weeks I've suddenly found a great love for them. This one, Lore, in particular deals with cool historical phenomenons, such as creepy folklore and unsolved mysteries. Aaron Mahnke, the man in charge, does his research, and always makes compelling psychological arguments. 

Third: 

I've neglected "making" for the last little while. One of the ways I used to "make" was sewing. So, I sew again. I just made a cool polka-dot jumper dress, and this month I've got all the pieces cut out for a space-print dress. Stoked about that. Next year, I hope to tackle my sewing Everest: a suit. Specifically, a velvet woman's power suit. Google one and you'll fall in love. 

love, 

Sarai 

PS: 

I Am

I am who I am because

My father almost never cries

But my mother does enough for the both of them.

I am who I am because books were shoved at me from birth

And I fell in love.

I’m a warrior and a princess

And I don’t think that makes me weak.

I can stand up to you

Even if it makes me cruel

Because sometimes you need to

Break all the rules.

I am who I am because my skin loves the sun

And my heart hates it more.

I think I was born with rain boots on.

And even when it’s not raining,

It’s sprinkling anyway, somewhere in the world.

I am the daughter of people who believe

And faith will always be a part

Of my home.

Of my mind.

Of my heart.

I am who I am because

Love is worth risking the world

And nothing is worse than forgetting that.

I am brave and I can stand ready for the hit;

Because

To fall in love is to willingly become an open target.

I am who I am because hiding is a joke

And everyone should know that.

I am who I am because I can always go home

To the hot chocolate and lavender house.

I am who I am because I know what to do

With a broken heart.

In those moments when it seems like too much

I can remember that the world is full of

Lilacs and footprints.

It’s full of raindrops and skyscrapers.

Along with the fears and the wars there are still

Old books for smelling and

Poems to be written.

I am who I am because I know what to do

With a broken heart.