I’m an unapologetic fan of Kanye West’s music, so having an excuse to fit it into this week’s post is something of a small joy for me.
I have a brief topic for today and it’s one that I’ve discussed before in passing in a variety of my other posts. One’s emotions are very rarely, if ever, subject to the kind of rational planning you can apply to an outline or editing. A person cannot help how they feel.
What they can control is what they do with their emotions. I won’t go into much here, but the last few days have been rocky ones for me emotionally and it’s been exacerbated by the break I’ve been affording myself in my editing work on Five Talents because of the holiday season and having a busy week socially with holiday parties and such.
This morning a friend of mine asked me if I’d be picking back up on Final Fantasy XV this week since I’m actually past my own gauntlet of holiday parties and I told him no. He said it might be a good escape given recent events, but I told him that it’s not about distraction.
What helps me, most of all, in situations like this isn’t escape, it’s a feeling of productivity and control. So, editing takes priority. Sure, I can escape into a video game and distract myself from my emotions with greater ease, but I get much more for growth and moving forward from the work.
I hope that’s something all us artists can agree on: that your emotions should propel you, and that in your art, work and discipline there’s a safe space and refuge that you construct through your feelings, experiences and work.
As I’ve said before, I’m building that refuge, and I wish everyone the very best for the holidays as your art and voice continues moving you. I’ll be back in a couple weeks with news and updates on Five Talents, but more importantly, my proofreader and cover artist have both committed to having their projects done for Beneath the Wood in time for the new year, so I should also have news on the long awaited print edition of that.
Thank God for work, and thank God for the inspiration to have work to produce. In 2017 as in every year, we move forward.
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