Clarifying Moment during a Health Crisis
How a cancer scare pushed me to jump start writing for my second book project Unsolicited Materials.
This last livestream I threw my script out and instead opened up about why I took a break (moving) and why I took a longer break (cancer scare). The clarifying momentum when you lay awake at night thinking "well most likely I'm fine, but I could also have only 12 months to live give or take." Then seriously considering what would I do. And this was the very practical, this is what I want to get done before I die list.
Professionally
1. Make as much art as is healthy for me to make and share it with the world.
2. Finish my second book, working title of Unsolicited Materials. It's like 60% complete.
3. Streamline Little Woods Herbal so it can run without me, beyond me, and be an asset instead of a burden if I die.
4. Get my art into publications -- online, magazines, books, etc.
Personally
1. Spend time engaging with my family and friends. Mostly Lucy and Jason, but make time for those dear to us.
2. Spend time engaging with my community.
3. Craft, draw, cook good food, take lots of walks in the woods.
4. Donate my zine collection to my local public library to seed a community based zine library.
5. Set up a grant endowment for artists who make science based ecological works (this was with part of funds from the sale of Little Woods in event of my death).
Well the great news is I'm not dying in 12 months as far as I know. I may have to have surgery, but it's minor. And I'm still on heavy antibiotics in the mean time to keep the infection at bay.
When I told Jason my literal 12 month to live bucket list his response was excellent. And this is also why I love him so much. "Well, there's no reason you can't do that anyway, and how much better will it be because you'll be here to enjoy the results of it getting done."
So I am.
I've started working on my next book.
It's about 1 part craft/art book and 1 part history/cultural/ecological context book. While I have many elements of the book well on their way to completion, I want to spend more time on the history and cultural context of the subject. An opportunity I always wish I had when writing Mend it Better. This component is just beginning and I'm not sure what shape it wants to take yet. To that end I'm going to use this space to explore these themes.
Until Next Time
ps - artwork featured is Aura-Clonic-Tonic I created in 2015 about living with a seizure disorder. If you are curious, you can read more about it on my portfolio website.