Kitcher’s Café is a monthly newsletter where I share a hybrid of personal and business updates. If you’d like to be the first to receive this monthly update, join the list here.
Dear Friend,
A little different this month, please enjoy this slightly longer vignette, a story of the season.
The month of "giving thanks" is also the month that we lose an hour of sleep due to Daylight Savings (thanks world!). All snarkiness aside, you’ll soon see how I was delightfully surprised by a blessing in disguise this year.
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I have always written and I have always wanted to be “a writer.” As a kid I wrote in journals and on typewriters. I wrote letters and created plays and short stories. I was inspired by characters like Jo March from “Little Women,” Shizuku Tsukishima in “Whisper of the Heart,” and Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City.”
Before the personal computer was widely available, I had an old word processor with a printer attached to the back. Eventually, I learned to type on desktops and laptops but the throughline remained the same: I loved to write. Aside from being a creative outlet, writing offered a way for me to process the world. Talking things out wasn’t effective for me, but writing helped me work through challenging times I couldn’t otherwise express.
Somewhere along the way, the world sped up and my writing slowed down. I think it was around the time I started working a full-time job, coupled with the growth in popularity of instant digital media such as smartphones and streaming services. Motivation waned and my writing dreams started to fade into the background.
On November 5th of this month, something clicked. The end of Daylight Savings time meant that everything shifted an hour earlier. Eleanor, our dog, is relentless when it comes to her meal time so she was up before dawn whining to be fed.
In addition, my husband (who is lovely, so I’m sorry to throw him under the bus here) has a tendency to snore and somehow his snoring comes and goes on a schedule; no amount of tapping, shoving, or attempts to roll him over seemed successful that day so I gave in and got up.
After a couple of days of this new 5 am dog whining and timed snoring phenomenon, I continued tweaking conditions to create a new and welcome routine. I strung white “twinkle lights” around the office for a dim but effective writing light. I set up a space heater, set out a bathrobe and hat to stay warm in the office which has no radiator. When feeding the dog, I prepared a cup of tea for the warm feeling – creating a sacred ritual around this new precious time that belonged to me. Then I proceed back upstairs to the office, make sure there are no electronics around, and I sit down to write. Sometimes in my journal; sometimes using prompts from Beth Kempton’s book “The Way of the Fearless Writer;” sometimes handwritten letters to friends.
The first couple of days were very difficult, but by adjusting the habit in two ways – by making it desirable (lights and tea), and making it easy (robe and heater) – I was able to keep up the momentum. Though I must also thank the dog and the husband, too, for making it nearly impossible to stay in bed those first couple of days. 😏
After starting the new routine, I can feel an enormous internal shift occurring that’s inspired me to register for a self-guided writing retreat to focus on the Unplug, Live Slow content. It’s also inspired me to seek outside guidance by working with a content manager and copy editor to help me get my words out there, even though it's still scary and even though what I have to say will not resonate with everyone. I can feel the wheels of a machine that have rusted due to lack of use and care start to turn again. The practice greasing the joints and muscles to get back to long-abandoned goals.
For this shift, I am grateful, and aim to continue making intentional adjustments to help me stick to it.
What’s something you loved once but have neglected? What one small thing might you be able to do that can help get you back in motion?
For support or to share your story, visit me on Instagram at @LanaKitcher.
Sincerely,
