Edouard John Menta (Swiss, 1858-1915) The Hiding Place. (Don’t you love my socks?)

Georgia O’Keeffe once said,

“I have done nothing all summer but wait for myself to be myself again.”

Oh, Georgia. I get the waiting to be myself bit…but damn, my summer was a blur of activity. I wish I could have done nothing! Because it was the summer of moves.

Selling a little cottage in the woods. And then selling our city home and buying another. Packing up two places within two months. And before you think something bad happened? All is well. It was just time to downsize. And you know how the Universe works. It decided to give me and my husband wonderful buyers who just happened to want to move in as quickly as they could. (It is possible to smile and swear at the same time!)

Which meant what we all dread when we move. Having to analyze our belongings and see what was worthy of packing, hauling, unpacking, and finding a new spot for. Even my werewolf dog was nervous. He wasn’t sure if he would make the cut! (But of course, he didn’t realize he’s at the top of the love list.)

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I was ruthless this time. You would be too if you saw how much crap we have.

This is what happens when two people have a million hobbies. My husband loves hunting and fishing. I am a bibliophile, forager, and gardener. We both love cooking and entertaining. I love art. My husband can’t resist a new ocean fishing rod. I work from home which means boxes of books, an old (heavy) vintage typewriter, and boxes and boxes of Scribbly issues and material.

And so, over the summer of moves, we made a million decisions, big and small, about what stayed and what had to be released. It wasn’t always easy. But it was worth it.

Going through tough things always is.

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I don’t know the last time you moved. But I’ve moved many times in my adult life. It was always for a good reason: to attend college; to start a new job; for love; to take advantage of a hot housing market.

You also go through strange emotions. You feel discombobulated. Disconnected. Tired of eating rotissiere chicken and bagged salad off paper plates because everything is packed.

A part of me still feels like I’m living at an Air BnB. Where is the bloody blender???

But as exhausting and overwhelming as it has been? This last move showed me, once again, how carving away always leaves you with more. More space. More breathing room. More peace.

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And now that the dust has literally settled and we’re 90% unpacked and into our new home?

Everything feels lighter. Streamlined. A distilled and better version of who we are.

I’ve even almost gotten over how my husband accidentally donated a rickety bird print chair I loved. (Was it really an accident? Hmmm. He knows he owes me many sushi dinners for that slip-up.)

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You may be wondering what moving has to do with your writing.

Well, let’s unpack that shall we?

You can get too comfortable in your writing. And before you know it? You haven’t written about a different topic in over a year. Or you’re not letting your writing sit for a few days before you submit it. Maybe you’re struggling with editing your work as you’re not willing to chop anything. (This is what happens when you fall in love with your writing.) Or perhaps you’re rushing the writing, or avoiding it altogether because it feels too much like work. The worst? When perfectionism sets in, and well, good luck with that. You’ll never get moving.

Has an idea been packed away for too long, and you need to finally give it some sunshine, fresh air, and attention?

Listen.

You need to get into the attic, the basement, the kitchen utensil drawer of your writing and give it a good long look. Dump it on the floor. What is worth keeping? Make it earn its way back to your writing list. What new topics should you try writing about, even if you’re scared you’ll flop? Have you challenged yourself to release old negative beliefs about your creativity?

Are you ready to give something new and fresh a whirl? Has an idea been packed away for too long, and you need to finally give it some sunshine, fresh air, and attention?

It’s time.

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As Georgia said, “I have done nothing all summer but wait for myself to be myself again.”

Well, I did much during this summer of moves. Packing and unpacking of boxes. Helping writers in two countries turn their dreams into books. Kept a steady stream of Scribbly issues being mailed around the world – even during a postal strike. And of course, just life!

It’s been tough. Writing for myself had to take a back-seat. For a woman with ink in her veins, that isn’t fun.

And yet. No matter what I was doing, I did wait for myself to be myself again.

The summer of moves. I’m strangely grateful for it all.

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*Did you love this? Then check out Scribbly – my quirky and gentle writing program that we snail-mail right to your home. Each issue has a theme, so all you have to do is follow the path! We make writing easy and fun for you. We’re nice like that.