Author: Christine

Christine http://www.mombie.com I'm a writer/storyteller/director/creativity & lifestory coach with a black belt in ITF Taekwon-do. I read voraciously and I write like my fingers are on fire. I'm the founder and Co-Chair of the Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl and I'm the current president of the St. John's Storytelling Festival. I bake a mean chocolate chip cookie.

Creating Time

I can’t really create time, of course, but I am trying to change the way my time feels.

I often feel rushed or I have no idea if I can do the things I want to do in the time I have available.

Time feels uncertain to me – like it speeds up or slows down randomly- and I know that is a ‘feature’ of my ADHD but I can’t get used to it.

So, I am exploring ways to help time feel different, to feel some spaciousness.

And I think that starts with having a better sense of what kinds of things I want to be doing at certain times of the day.

I’m not sure how I will figure that out but having the idea is a good start.

I like how this picture feels

I took this photo on Friday near Rocky Harbour, NL.

I liked how it felt to see this in person and I like how it feels to look at this photo.

A photo from a grassy shore with a body of water in the middle ground and hills at the back.
A photo looking out over a body of water to some hills in the distance. In the foreground is grass with rocks at the shore, then there is a long stretch of water leading to hills in the very back of the photo. The way the water extends toward/between the hills gives the photo a very long perspective.

A low key victory

Last night, I submitted a grant application, utterly unstressed, 24 hours in advance of the deadline.

Earlier in the day, I submitted an application for a different grant over 36 hours before the deadline.

I’ve occasionally turned in grant applications early but this is one of the first times that it has happened by design rather than by luck.

I worked on both of these applications in little bits, got help and feedback, did revisions, added extra material, for more feedback, and was still able to get them both in early.

I even took 4 days off over the weekend.

I’m really proud of myself for this process.

I actually enjoyed putting the application together because I had plenty of time to think.

One of my ongoing goals is to spend more time working on things in small amounts instead of trying to do them in one fell swoop and this is a very promising start.

Go me!

Plans for October and beyond

This year has been ridiculous.

Way too much stress, way too many challenges, way too much to do.

I am determined to put that all behind me and have a low stress rest-of-year.

What will that look like?

Plenty of time to exercise and to declutter my house.

Keeping my work hours really limited.

Taking more time for art – and putting boundaries around that time.

Rest. Rest. Rest.

A great weekend

I spent this whole weekend doing stuff I love doing – telling stories, connecting with people, hanging out with my husband.

This time away wasn’t fully a vacation but it was a way to reset, a way to take time away, to give my brain a break.

I feel rested and refreshed.