Work
- I haven’t worked on the novel in two weeks. The week I was traveling for Diwali was going to be a wash anyway, but my inability to work during this post-Diwali week caught me by surprise. A combination of social commitments, mild sickness, physical exhaustion, and poor mental health kept me away from my desk.
- Itihas led the session for this week’s IndieWebClub, where they talked about digital gardens and showed off their note-taking and digital gardening setup. As expected, the discussion veered off into note-taking methods, PKM, non-linear thinking and writing, and the joys of hypertext. I realized during the session that I prefer to think in neat, linear narratives and do not wish to start a digital garden (even though I’m fascinated by other people’s gardens).
- At Writers Club, we used the submission guidelines for the Journal of Imaginary Research to write abstracts for fictional papers. My abstract was a mix of sci-fi with a subtle horror element. After two weeks of zero creative work, writing something and calling it done felt good. I’ve grown to enjoy writing using writing prompts. They challenge myself to think in different ways, and they’re especially fun to do in a group setting. I want to do a lot more of this!
- I’m helping a friend write a comic for Indie Comix Fest. The submission deadline is next week, so I’m not sure if we’ll make it. But we’re going to try our darndest.
Not work
- I’ve been struggling with mental health lately, especially when it comes to intimate relationships and close friendships (aren’t they the same?) To help me work through these (long-standing) issues, I’ve started going to a new therapist. The first session on Monday was promising and left me feeling hopeful, and I’m looking forward to the next one.
- I’ve been finding it difficult to carve out time for myself, which is probably a contributing factor to my poor state of mind. In the coming few weeks I will attempt to find my way back to myself.
- I’ve also been finding it difficult to set priorities for myself. I’ve been taking time away from my most important tasks and spending them on trivialities instead. The problem is exacerbated by my sleep cycle being completely out of whack. A good recipe for burnout and resentment.
- The silver lining in all of this was a lovely dinner date with somebody I have come to care about deeply.
- Guerilla Diner makes the best Oklahoma smash, don’t @ me.
- For the last three years, an orange cat has made a home in the common areas of my apartment building. Sometime this week, he came back badly injured, with deep wounds across his body. The family on the ground floor—who take care of him and feed him—found him yowling outside their window, demanding to be fed but otherwise unable to move without pain. We tried for a few days to get him into a crate so we could take him to the vet, but he refused to let anybody come near him. Close to midnight on Thursday, my friend Shruti finally lured him into the crate and we drove him to the vet. I’m happy to report that he is pain-free and on his way to recovery!
Links of the week