The End

I recently published my first edited book,  Labor of Love: A Literary Mama Staff Anthology ,  with  Small Harbor Publishing . It's an anthology of writing from  Literary Mama  staff over the past 20 years. It's a beautiful collection and I am proud of the writers and proud to share the book.  It seems a fitting moment, as I pondered sharing about the book here on the blog, to reflect on my life as a blogger, and acknowledge that it is time to officially end this blog.   I started blogging in about 2007, when my baby was learning to toddle, when I was learning how to be a mother and stepmother, when I was just starting to see my way as a writer. I needed it back then. I craved it. I had a variety of blog iterations--family, art, creativity, writing things I delved into. There's a freedom in blogging, a casualness, an easy familiarity that's lacking (for me anyway) in other kinds of writing. I loved blogging and the words came pouring out.  Over the years since then, some

Transitions

This month has brought changes I wasn't fully prepared for. My stepdaughter left for college last week, and my son started his final year of elementary school. Of course, I knew these days were coming, the calendar is quite frank about what it contains, but emotionally, I had no idea that I'd be so affected.

Additionally, I am in my final semester as a graduate student at Chatham University. With the guidance of my director, my thesis is coming together and I am revising all the bits and pieces and trying to make a cohesive whole. The date for completion looms and then there will be the final defense. Assuming the best, I'll leave Chatham with a piece of paper declaring my Mastery of Creative Writing.

Then what?

I haven't visited my blog in some time because it seemed irrelevant, unimportant, unconnected. The work I put into this was overtaking my desire and becoming a chore. Now, many months later, sitting here facing the white pages of Blogger, memories stir of all the other blog posts I have written, all the feedback I've received, all the power that writing these words has contained.

I've done a lot of writing for free. Putting my words out there to contribute something, to say my piece, to be a part of the conversation. And all those contributions were important in their own way. But as I face stepping into the world with an MFA, a bunch of debt, and a desire to be paid for my writing, I wonder what this blog means and where it fits in to my creative life. I won't be writing book reviews any more, nor adding to my nature writing series or backyard photo collections. I love haiku, but writing those doesn't excite me anymore.

Life's transitions are upon me. I don't really know the answer to the Then what? question. But I think as I walk the path where kids grow up and I have proof that I am a writer and money is an object, this blog will transition with me.

Let's see what happens.


Comments

seanc49 said…
Looking forward to seeing where it, and you, take your talents. Count me in as the first "pre-order" on whatever it is you create that can be purchased. I, and I'm sure many others, will be waiting...
Unknown said…
Good luck on your writing adventure. Life transitions areprovide great fodder for stories.
Amanda K. Jaros said…
Thanks, Sean and Deb. Your support means the world...