Hi Everybody,
How’s it going?
I’ve been away a while, but have a good reason.
I’m about 90-95% done with the first draft of my novel, and it’s taken all my creative juice, of late.
(That, plus editing two photo books for clients.)
The breakthrough, with respect to fiction-writing, was when I realized that novels are broken down into chapters, and for me, each chapter was the equivalent of a blog post.
(The long ones I used to write for APE, not the short ones I do here.)
Once I began with a clear vision in mind, my goal was just to stack chapter upon chapter, and let the story unspool. It’s worked so far, but the last month or two, I’ve felt the need to focus on that as much as I could, creatively.
Hence the quiet blog.
I’ve also been learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is a brilliant and brutal combat sport, adapted in Brazil, from Japanese roots.
It has been kicking my ass, (admittedly,) but also proved to be a palliative for something I wrote about early in the blog: loneliness.
Allow me explain why it’s helpful.
I work from home, and have since well before the pandemic.
I’m an OG, when it comes to working alone, from the confines of my house.
After the pandemic, which fucked with all of our heads, I got into martial arts classes again, but it didn’t stick. (My Kung Fu big brother Dave died, which brought down one program, and the other had bad vibes.)
So I was practicing alone, at home. (Just like work.)
Joining the Taos branch of the Jesse Jacquez BJJ program, at the beginning of February, changed all of that.
Now, while I may be alone during the day, (or with my amazing family, with whom I spend a ton of time,) I know that a few days a week, I have a group of people to connect with.
Unlike the photo festival life, where I made quick, intense bonds with new people, here, it’s all about the slow build.
Getting to know people, day by day, through sweat, hard work, and a shared passion.
(Plus lots of pain.)
When I got the first stripe on my white belt a month ago, I felt like I still knew nothing, and the people there didn’t know me.
But it was growing.
On Monday night, when one of the instructors, Professor Nate, a black belt who is (without exaggeration) 6’5″, 300 lbs, specifically called me out by name, and congratulated me for my improvement, everyone applauded.
After 4.5 months, I looked around and knew the people who were were clapping for me.
(I’m still bad, but it was true, I had gotten noticeably better.)
It felt amazing.
Actual community.
Very often, when we’re lonely, we think someone will fix it for us, or we get stuck in a rut.
If you want more community in your life, with all the accrued benefits, maybe take a look at what’s thriving out there, what you find interesting, and then take the leap?
You’ll thank me.
PS: I made an error in the last post. I forgot that Camus wrote “The Stranger,” not Sartre. Pretty cool they had us reading that stuff in French in High School. Right Kiki?
Sunshine and Olly 
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