Art And Business

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like most people cant.”

- Warren G. Tracy’s student

I came across these words this morning as I was scrolling through my phone. I couldn't help lingering on them, they just rang so true. I don't know if I would consider myself to be an entrepreneur, but it made me think about the difference between art and business, and how that affects the way writers operate.

For me, writing used to be art. It was how I expressed myself, it was how I relaxed, and it was how I filled my free time. Now, however, it's my escape.

Whether I'm crammed in my cubicle during my lunch break, stealing a few minutes of quiet after everyone else has gone to bed, or balancing my laptop on my knee while I wait for our clothes to finish at the Laundromat, I'm always writing. I think, in my last post, it may have come across that I only write this often during NaNoWriMo, but that's not the case. I write like this in some crazy attempt to make my life more like I want it to be, and I do it all the time. I write instead of watching television, I write instead of going out with friends and I write instead of going to the classes I used to enjoy.

It may seem like a stupid hope, but after working full time there's not a whole lot of other ways to generate additional income. Writing gives me hope that, one day, I might be able to purchase my own washing machine, instead of trudging along the street with a giant suitcase at least once a week. Writing gives me hope that we might not have to live in this apartment for the rest of our lives, surrounded by the noise and activity of so many other people when we crave peace. Writing gives me hope that, one day, I'll be able to stay at home with my children without burdening my partner with the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner, something I'd never be able to do on our current incomes, anyway.

So right now I spend every free moment writing, in hopes that one day those words will mean a more peaceful familial life for us, and the chance for me to be with my children as they grow and discover the world.

I approach my writing as an entrepreneur, and spend the time I have now, to buy the time I want later.

Friday Five - 14/11/2014

Boy, it's been a long week. I'm sitting here trying not to nod off and only just succeeding. In the future I'm aiming to blog more than once a week, but at the moment my writing time is somewhat occupied as you'll be able to understand in a few minutes.

Without further ado, here are this week's hot five. Hopefully you'll find something to love in here too!

1. Fitbit - I purchased my FitBit because one of the girls at work had one and loved it. I'm not a hardcore user, I don't track every piece of food I eat or every bit of exercise I do, but I find it illuminating to see how much sleep I'm getting and I love the silent alarm feature. I really like the app too, it turns fitness into a game. I'm competitive (even when there's nobody to compete with) and stubborn, so seeing the red bars turn green motivates me to move more.
2. Nanowrimo - I'm a writer, and every November thousands of us gather to attempt the insane: finish a 50,000 word novel in one month. I've been going well so far, I'm writing the sequel to my first manuscript, but boy is it hard going! There seems to be so little time in the day. I'm sneaking words in during my lunch break at work, when everyone else has gone to sleep at home, and, as usual, during my weekly trips to the Laundromat. It's amazing how many extra words I can squeeze in.
3. Halo Master Chief Collection - while I'm busy with my words, which I am more than usual this month, I feel a little guilty about neglecting my partner. He's pretty good about it, but I've found keeping him occupied keeps him feeling a little less unloved. But this isn't just any video game, it's Halo four times over in beautiful, beautiful detail. I especially love that you can switch back and forth between the new and the old version. It's certainly keeping him occupied. Maybe once NaNo is over I'll try my hand at it.
4. Peppermint hot chocolate - As the winter is beginning to turn, there's nothing more comforting than a peppermint hot chocolate, my favourite is the Options Belgian Chocolate Mint madness. Costa used to do an amazing mint hot chocolate, but last year they stopped and I haven't been back to see if they've started doing it again since. Nero and Starbucks have peppermint, but it just doesn't blend smoothly enough with their hot chocolate and is always a little disappointing.
5. With A Rock Star - I first encountered Amber Lin and Shari Slade when I read THREE NIGHTS WITH A ROCK STAR and this week I finally got my hands on the sequel ONE KISS WITH A ROCK STAR. I loved it just as much as the first, so sexy and exciting and... whoar *fans self*. I love how beautifully these two write their intimate scenes, I wish I could make mine as meaningful.

See you next week, folks. Hopefully I've defeated NaNo by then, not the other way around.

Friday Five - Hello World!

It's been a long time since I set up this blog. I've had a few false starts, but I've just never figured out how to get the ball rolling. I had this idea about a grand first post, that'd blow everyone out of the water, but I've spent too long pondering what it could be and still have no clue what to write about.

It's time to bite the bullet.

I'm planning on using Fridays (when I can) to talk about my favourite things from the previous seven days. Today, however, I suppose I should use this post to tell you a little about myself.

1. I like to think I'm more badass than I am. I was raised on a steady diet of Harry Potter, Captain Planet, Batman, The Chronicles of Narnia and X-Men - with those sort of rolemodels how the hell could I think otherwise?
2. I love fashion, but I suck at it.
3. I hate running, so I'm constantly searching for fun ways to keep in shape. Rock climbing, pole dancing, archery, yoga, kayaking, ice skating... I've tried it all.
4. I never have enough time in my day. I'm one of those people constantly trying new time-saving techniques. Hell, I've endured running home from work simply to save that 50  minutes I would have spent at the gym, so I could use them as writing-time instead.
5. Happy endings are my crack.

Hopefully, now that I've broken the ice, it won't be so difficult to dive in next time. *Crosses fingers*