My principal resolution for 2016 was to cut down on meat. Three months later, I was vegetarian, and as we swim desperately from the whirlpool of last year and collapse on the shore of 2017, I remain so. I'm stronger and healthier than I've ever been, and - give or take the smell of frying bacon - I really don't miss meat all that much. So I win at new year's resolutions. The meat in my life has been successfully and permanently cut down. But what about this year? How do I improve at something I've already won?
Like with any half-decent gravy, the key is consistency. Despite my devotion to the High Temple of Soy Mince, I have trouble sticking to certain other things, especially creative projects. My Google Drive is peppered with novel plans, ideas for plays, and a detailed strategy for if I ever reboot my YouTube channel. Most of these are either waiting in the wings to be started, or floating in limbo under the heading 'work in progress.'
I've always had an interest in novel-writing, since books have been my primary source of creative inspiration; but in the past few years, I've found it ever harder to commit to projects of that scale. Even if I don't get bored of them, the chances are that by the time I've made much progress, there will be another endeavour requiring and capturing my attention. And that's before we factor in work and university. In recent months, I have turned to poetry and short stories as an antidote to this creative quicksand: their short form requires less commitment. So far I've been pleased with the results, and I'd like to keep developing these skills. The scale and satisfaction of big undertakings, however, still calls to me.
So, my 2017 resolution is this: to stick at things, from brushing my teeth every day to writing a good dissertation. I have a few projects on the go already, and this blog is the newest - a way to keep tabs on my own consistency, while building up a public portfolio of writing, whatever form it may take. My aim is to write one post every week, and to combine creative content with thoughts and wonderings from everyday life.
A happy new year to you, and many thanks for your attention. I hope you enjoy what is to come!
I've always had an interest in novel-writing, since books have been my primary source of creative inspiration; but in the past few years, I've found it ever harder to commit to projects of that scale. Even if I don't get bored of them, the chances are that by the time I've made much progress, there will be another endeavour requiring and capturing my attention. And that's before we factor in work and university. In recent months, I have turned to poetry and short stories as an antidote to this creative quicksand: their short form requires less commitment. So far I've been pleased with the results, and I'd like to keep developing these skills. The scale and satisfaction of big undertakings, however, still calls to me.
So, my 2017 resolution is this: to stick at things, from brushing my teeth every day to writing a good dissertation. I have a few projects on the go already, and this blog is the newest - a way to keep tabs on my own consistency, while building up a public portfolio of writing, whatever form it may take. My aim is to write one post every week, and to combine creative content with thoughts and wonderings from everyday life.
A happy new year to you, and many thanks for your attention. I hope you enjoy what is to come!
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