Fellow Readers....
I'm very excited to report that I've helped edit a new short story episode that is now live on Kindle Vella called Grimm Consequences. I hope everyone finds their way there and reads it since the first three episodes of a Vella piece are FREE. In other news, I've recently heard back from another anthology that I submitted poetry to, and was asked to submit additional poems to my submission. I'm still waiting for any further follow up. But as soon as I know, you'll know. It's exciting to see your work gain some traction in the world. But I'm going to be honest, I've hit bit of a writing lag. Why? Well, it's simple, really! Life. You see with being mentally ill, even in recovery I'm still going to have down days for whatever reason. In the last two weeks, I battled a small lapse of error with my medication, and issues with my home life. Those two things alone have been a costly combination to my emotional health. Luckily, things are heading back in the right direction. You know I was honestly worried I'd have nothing to blog about this week. I'm happy that I've kept up with my weekly blog writing as I've intended. And I'm also thankful that my blog has become a forum talking about the two most important things to me right now, which is mental health and writing. Don't get me wrong! I love my family. But if I don't take care of my mental health, and keep myself in check with an outlet like writing.... I will be no good to my family in order to add value into their lives. Always, Jan
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Fellow Readers...
I'm happy to report that mentally and emotionally I'm in a recovery that has allowed some doors to open. These specific doors have been locked away from me for many, many years. Apart from being an avid reader as a means of escaping a pretty tumultuous growing up era, I also found out that writing from the heart helped take the edge off of some of the painful things I felt or thought during my youth. Unfortunately, I had lost my ability to really write, which took away my dreams of becoming a published novelist away during the height of my manic and depression frenzy. Some authors are able to write during these phases, but I was paralyzed mentally and emotionally to the point of being unable to. At most, you could visualize 2-3 words falling through cracks in my mind that somehow landed on paper. In better news, through medication and therapy, the mental factory is in the phases of a soft-opening. I'm in the process of becoming an author to not only one, but two poetry anthologies. And I've recently launched a flash fiction serial on Kindle Vella called The Misadventures of Jill Mansfield Vol. 1. So far, I have 3 episode completed of the 9 planned episodes for this particular serial. I have planned on writing a novella, but this is a better stepping stone into the genre I am seeking to work my way into. As you can see, I'm continuously updating my website to accommodate the new publications, and any news publications I'm featured in. I appreciate all the traffic and views. Please keep reading and following my stories. Also, don't forget to review the books, and serial once you've completed it. Always, Jan Fellow Readers....
As many of you have read on the About page, I do attend therapy as apart of my mental health journey and healing. The thought of needing therapy made me feel like I was loony and crazy. But what I found out is how freeing it becomes for you. Now, it may taking two or three therapists before you find the right fit. It's important to find someone who has the clinical experience with whatever is ailing you. This is important as they help you navigate what is going on with you. As well as, you'll want this person to help you build a skill set of coping mechanisms to deal with every day living. For me, I'm on my third therapist. The one I'm currently seeing happens to have a clinical psychology background, which I find extremely important for someone with my particular grouping of mental illnesses. As for being a writer, which is normally a vary solitary activity, I realize that too also requires a village to go through to our finished product. Even while I was putting the finishing touches on Holes... I consulted with an author mentor, an editor, and a few other people during the final stages before publication. Mental health and writing are very similar in that respect. They both require a village to go through the processes it takes to reach a finish line. I'm excited to announce that I found a love group of ladies on Facebook through a writer's group called Moms Who Write. While reading through their posts, I came across a young woman looking for ladies to get involved in a podcast from a group called These Mums Write Podcast. I recently submitted a query to join their ranks and was accepted. I'm hoping to be talking soon about my books, writing, mental health, and other amazing topics. Fellow Readers....
Before the month of January gets to far ahead of us, I wanted to grace you with another blog posting. I have been busy with many different aspects of my life. In this post, I'm going to talk about a couple of them that keep me super preoccupied, and then plead my case for why it's important to take time away for yourself, and try not to feel bad about it. No Shame Ever! The first thing that keeps me forever busy is my job. I've been a supervisor since August of 2021, and work easily 50-60+ hours a week. Yes, one week within the scope of my job. So, how I managed with get Holes in Your Umbrella together will be forever a wonder. But the next busy task that you will see in the slideshow above is my daughter. In my poem, "Presenting My Daughter" featured in my book, I discuss the challenges I'm faced with being her mom. And trust me when I say there are many challenges to being this wonderful child's parent. She will forever be my mini-me. Even though in February, she will turn sweet & sour 16; yet she is still a priority in my life. The next task that has proven to now take up a good chunk of time is not only writing my book, but also promoting them. If I were going through a traditional publisher, I would have a department devoted to the marketing and promotion of my novels. But since I've declared myself an indie publisher, which I do not regret....I must do all the marketing and promoting myself. It's becoming a mini part-time job on it's own. If I let it. With all that being said, it is extremely important to the maintenance of my mental health to not let all this busyness swallow up me. I could see myself getting completely lost mentally and emotionally, if I'm not careful. This week, I started using up a few hours of vacation time at work to focus on some things at home. My husband and I even went on an afternoon movie date to see the new Spider-Man before it left the theater. And hopefully soon, I can plan a short weekend writing retreat getaway so I can have complete 100% solace to continue working on my next book Love is Strange. So, as much as you don't want to let the important people and things in your life down. Prioritizing your mental and emotional health will keep you from taking steps backwards in your recovery. |
AuthorI'm blogging about my mental health journey along with my various life struggles that go along with having a variety of "holes in my umbrella" in life. Archives
March 2022
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