Did a year really go by?

Oh my, how embarrassing! Now I’ve really gone and done it! Apparently I haven’t posted anything for a year! What’s doubly mortifying is that I went to log into my own blog, and I went to the wrong address. Hopefully some of you out there are still subscribed, because you might, like me, go to grownupmonkey.blogspot.com, instead of wordpress.com, which might be forgivable, seeing as it’s not you writing the blog. Unfortunately for me, I forget where my blog was hosted, typed in the wrong address, and immediately thought, “Wow, did I really pick a theme this ugly?” Sorry to the gentleman whose empty blog that is…

Onward and upward, as they say. (Actually, I’m pretty sure that I’m the only one that ever says that anymore.) I have decided to launch myself back into writing. It only took me a week of nerves this time before I decided to give it a try. As I quickly surveyed my blog, I found that even my “About” page is out of date. I’m 32, I don’t feel stuck in a career rut anymore, and I have 2 kids and 1 who will be here really soon. I fear for my sleep.

The motivation to write again didn’t actually come from people asking me if I was going to. (Let’s face it, I think there may be 3 people outside my family who even remember that I used to do this!) No, the motivation to write came from reading some delicious and amazing prose, in the form of a book called, “Unnatural Creatures,” which is a collection of stories chosen by Neil Gaiman. It made me want to write stories again, which I find even scarier than writing blog posts, because I still (despite reading incredible stories that continually make me re-think what you can and can’t do in prose)  feel like there’s a right and a wrong way to write creatively. 

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, I’m stealing his incredible, fabulous, life-changing New Year’s quote and sharing it with you. You can thank me when you see me. (I’m like Robin Hood, I steal from the talented and give to the internet.)

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

Enough said, I’ll be writing again soon.