At this time of the year we see a change in the scenery from shops doing business as usual without that need to say 'Happy Holidays!' to a smile on Baristas' faces and that voluntary chirpiness we see during the festive period.
Everywhere there are brightly lit streets with sparkling lights decorating street light poles and suddenly almost everyone is thinking of festive foods and gifts.
Come March 2019, will we be able to travel across Europe to see all the various ways of celebrating Easter and Christmas?
Will there be changes to how we look at these traditional celebrations?
Yet we have to decide whether to put some effort in celebrating the festive season or not.
This reminds me of the mother I overheard on the public transport telling her very young daughter to read a poem.
It's a nice gesture but as with cultural celebrations, we have to decide for our own selves whether we want to read a poem and then write one ourselves or not.
I personally think writing is a passion I wish I didn't have as the downside is the negativity I feel when posting on social media, which is overwhelmingly overpowering (yes the two powerful adverb/adjective descriptions because that is the deep impact I sense) and I have to have my 'me' time at the end of the day to recharge my 'batteries'.
I didn't go into the writing field as a profession because I didn't want to be a journalist. That's what earns a living on a daily basis.
Being a writer in whatever capacity means spending 'your' spare time taking photos for example. Then suddenly for instance I'd think of a poem. It's posting that blog and sharing it on social media that makes me feel 'drained' and I need to relax and recharge my energy.
At the end of the evening I feel exhausted and 'ukky' for no reason. So I need time to relax and 'meditate' to de-stress.
So writing is a passion I would not wish on anyone as it takes years to deal with the negative vibes of others who follow 'you' around for decades without telling you etc etc.
Hence the constant and daily challenges faced.
For me Writing requires :-
1. A tremendous amount of solitude to focus on ideas
2. Time to concentrate which is vital so a lot of solitude time which means although I attend social events etc there's no room for constant interaction. That means no personal life. It seems either a writer focuses on their writing passion and photography etc or they choose a lifestyle where they can have a lot of time with others and enjoy a personal relationship
3. Relaxation moments and 'me' time like meditating because 'you' will feel the negativity around you so intensely 'your' mood will be constantly affected and it is difficult being around someone like that
4. Time to deal with negativity at the end of the day because 'your' mood will make you seem a difficult person to be with for more than 15 minutes
5. Dedication, without which you can't write well (that means a lot of time spent in solitude to think and write properly.
It seems a hard bargain to deal with but a genuine writer like famous painters and writers spent/spend a lot of time in solitude.
For instance:
Van Gogh, Gaugain, Renoir, Leonardo da Vinci, Keats, TS Elliott, Seamus Heaney etc.
Writing involves concentrating properly for at least 15 minutes and the time before that has to be clear of house chores.
Similarly when you are at work, the time has to be focused 100% on work. Not on what to cook afterwards or where to meet who at what time etc etc.
