1/1 Fresh Start

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
-Nina Simone

The five words that will define my writing life for 2009 are:

• passionate
• fearless
• consistent
• authentic
• earnest

It should come as no surprise that these are also my intentions for myself overall for this year.
I feel as though I've become a wallflower in recent months- slowly pulling away from friends and abusing my introspective powers. Life is not as interesting when you live it alone.

Under certain circumstances, I have a tendency to withdraw and self medicate with TV, alcohol and food (and recently, Facebook). I become paralyzed. Writing forces me to experience each emotion and even though it gives me more control - it also leaves me vulnerable. And I hate that. Hate it.

I guess the good part of the paralysis is that I'm so mentally confined that I don't make bad decisions. But frankly, I don't make any decisions at all. Things just roll past me and I spend all day in my own head. Completely oblivious of the days passing me by- and the lives and events of friends who could benefit from my full or even partial attention.

So my goal for the first few months of 2009 is to become re-engaged with the world around me. Return to living in the moment and making an effort to support those I care about.
My writing will hopefully reflect these changes and, dear reader- be prepared. I have no idea where my thoughts will wander. But I promise to push some boundaries.

Assignment notes: It’s the first of the year and you have a blank canvas in front of you. On that glaringly white piece of paper, set your intention for the year. Fill that page with five words that reflect your goals for your life as a writer. Expand upon them if you want, or let them be powerful enough to speak for themselves.