Creativity vs Post-Trump Election Stress

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend who writes all the time.  He currently has screenplays, novels, short story collections, and poetry he’s working on.  (What?  No Broadway musical?)  He also has two small children around the same age as mine, and as a busy mom and unionist, I asked, “Do you have a regular writing schedule?  When do you have time to write?”  I escape in the mornings as my Pamper Mistress Simona allows.

He said, “No.  I pretty much sleep five hours a day.”  It’s probably less, and I know for a fact that he quit drinking coffee, God bless him.  Well, his narrative certainly gave me hope because if he can work on so many different projects, I can surely finish two projects. 

Unfortunately, I have been so busy, I haven’t had time to sit with my characters, which was one of my writing goals this week.  I have had non-stop reading and reading at work.  The truth is that these days I am so tired, I get confused about what day of the week it is, and I wonder if it’s not post-Trump election stress.  It may be a new physiological ailment.  Instead, I have been talking about my plot line with my son, Antonio, apparently the other writer in the family, but he doesn’t have much of an attention span for real detail.  (However, the other day, he barges into my office and says “Mom, if you every need any stories, come see me.  I have a bunch.”  What an amazing 6 year old.)

My husband doesn’t either, so really, I should talk to myself about my projects in spaces where people don’t think I’m losing my damn marbles.  And if they do, I an always blame the current political situation.  I’m talking to myself to deal with the idea of President Trump.

I also have an analysis I need to hammer out for myself and for my union sisters and brothers, which is an entirely different kind of writing.  In it, I want to be honest about the very real threats to unions.  I hope I am wrong, but my analysis is usually right. 

And, this is all the time I have.  I need to take a quick shower before running out the door to drop off my son at school. 

This week, talking to yourself about your creative projects and anti-Trump ideas is O.K.