A dear friend of mine started a website called Cupid Lies where readers can write in about their dating gripes or commiserate with other people’s dating issues. He was sweet enough to include a post I wrote on how to get over a break up on his site. I’ve doled out a lot of dating advice on various blogs but I think it’s time I start listening to my own advice.
And yes. Cupid Lies.
Tim and I at Cupid Lies launch party.
“The truth of the matter is that the people who succeed in the arts most often are the people who get up again after getting knocked down. Persistence is critical.” -Novelist Scott Turow who’s written 4 unpublished novels before he published Presumed Innocent.
“Starting things- relationships or non-profits, screenplays or marathons – takes a certain willing suspension of disbelief. This suspension is hard to maintain, but its perpetuation is Job One. I’ve written two books, and I can tell you that writing one word at a time, when there are 60,000 words to go, requires a state of flat-out dissociation. You’ll need to blow up a nice big bubble and find a way to live in it long enough to forget the world of reason and probability, the world that is staring through the filmy edge of your bubble, barely obscured, mouthing the words “Who do you think you are, anyway?”
-Kelly Corrigan, author of The Middle Place
A year ago today I was let go from my job. Isn’t it crazy how sometimes you can remember a day exactly? I had just moved into a beautiful new apartment where I wasn’t even unpacked yet. My life did a complete 180 after that day. I moved out of my apartment , went to London, and then shortly after went back home to Thailand to spend some time with my family and friends. It’s amazing how much can change in just a year. I’ve had some ups and downs this past year but for the most part, life is good. So I say, Happy Anniversary!
I’m having a pretty good start to the week. I had a lovely soul food dinner last night that sent me into an early slumber. This morning I had a meeting with NBC (Note: this is a tease, no details yet! haha) that went really well. Do you ever just meet someone who is just super cool and you leave thinking, “Wow, that was a really great conversation.” Women are usually too busy hating on each other to appreciate just how awesome other women are.
While I was waiting for my meeting I was watching people hurry through the lobby, coffee cups in hand. They seemed to have such purpose. I was jealous. I thought to myself, “I wanna walk with purpose, coffee cup in hand. I wish I had a job.” I would be able to pull out my ballet flats, Express editor pants, and colorful sweaters out of the “You don’t have a job right now so you don’t need these clothes” bin. I read this article by Dominique Browning today about life after being laid-off. It was unemployment so eloquently described and I felt I could totally relate.
I got home and put the coffee on and cleaned my room so that I could get a day of writing in. I finally unpacked my suitcase from Utah. (It only took me a week, which is record time). I cleared all the clutter, picked up my clothes off the floor, and swept the cat hairs. My room seemed to double in size! I always blame my clutter and disorganization on the lack of living space in NYC but then I see those people in design magazines who make their small living quarters oh-so-cozy (and cute, and organized) and I think I’m just full of excuses.
After I was done cleaning I worked for a few hours on my book. Next thing I knew I woke up with a space bar imprinted on my forehead. I had been struggling to write this chapter and even I was so bored by what I wrote that I passed out! Not a good sign. Ah well. I put another pot of coffee on and my editor pants for inspiration. Delete. Rewrite. Repeat.