Sometimes we just forget to take a step back in order to move forward with intention. It is in the space between what is, what was, and what will be that we gain the objectivity to make the next plan.
The business of life clouds our intentions and our way, and the storms can sometimes blind us as we run for cover, unable to intellectually navigate, using survival instincts only. When we slow the pace, just for a moment in time; a weekend, a day, or even an hour, recovery happens.
As writers, deeply enmeshed in a world of our own making and subjectively critiquing our work, we can experience burnout. Depleting our storage with forced extractions of thought, molded by perfectionism, will never quite satisfy us like simply allowing the free flow of our inner spring to fill the page.
And yet, that spring can dry up. So I embrace the need to step back and recharge to gather perspective. I am content knowing the work is still being done beneath the surface.
-Erika K Rothwell