blogs

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Self-Awareness Overload by Gillian Barnes (@geezfresh)

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Self-Awareness Overload by Gillian Barnes (@geezfresh)

I can’t believe the close of another round of #GBWritesWithOthers is upon us and now it's my turn to share why I've learned. It's hard to pick just one subject as I feel like this period of time has been one of constant pivoting, but I would say (and yes, it is an umbrella term) I have learned the most about self-awareness.

Being alone with yourself is hard. I mean, in my case I live with a partner, so I haven't been fully alone like some people (side note: you are warriors!), but for many more hours than is typical I have been "alone with my brain."

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What I Learned While Being Furloughed Due to COVID-19 by Bethany B. (@dreamgirlBA)

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What I Learned While Being Furloughed Due to COVID-19 by Bethany B. (@dreamgirlBA)

In March, my employer shut down. My husband was also one of several employees to get furloughed. Thanks to that, we both ended up at home for one and two months while our state was on an “essential business only” ban. In that time, we used stimulus funds for a major project we needed done around the house and I bought a Cricut the day I was furloughed (impulse I had been eyeing for a year). At that time, we figured I could take the time to work on my side business while my husband worked.

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What I Learned from Quarantine Life: The Icelandic Version by Villimey Sigurbjörns (@VillimeyS)

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What I Learned from Quarantine Life: The Icelandic Version by Villimey Sigurbjörns (@VillimeyS)

So, I’m pretty sure that everyone can agree that 2020 has not been a stellar year. Especially with this pandemic. It’s been hectic. It’s also been stressful for a lot of people that have had to stay at home in quarantine.

For me, it was a little bit different since I live in Iceland.

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Pandemic Parenting by Michelle Peterson

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Pandemic Parenting by Michelle Peterson

Towels need to be washed.

Of course, the wet towel is on the floor again.

Do I bother to go get him to pick it up this time? I don’t feel like it, I’ll just hang it. Ugh, the bathroom.

I should wash the dishes first.

Coffee.

“MOM I CAN’T FIND THE ANSWER TO NUMBER NINE!”

Coffee.

Zoom meeting at 3:15.

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What I Learned From Quarantine Life Changed Me Forever by Mariana Serio (@mstranslations)

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What I Learned From Quarantine Life Changed Me Forever by Mariana Serio (@mstranslations)

I’ll always remember the look of terror in everyone else’s eyes when they heard they’d be under strict lockdown. Working from home while dealing with the kids? Was that a sick joke or something?

My family and friends were all freaking out. But I’m an introverted translator. “The joke’s on you, Coronavirus. I can handle this,” I told myself. And I honestly thought nothing would change.

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How to Play the Mandolin. Sort Of. by T.M. Montgomery (@TMMontgomery3)

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How to Play the Mandolin. Sort Of. by T.M. Montgomery (@TMMontgomery3)

What did I learn from my time in quarantine? How to play the mandolin. Sort of. I need a lot more practice.

To be fair, I already knew “Winder Wie Ist” fairly well. But learning “Mach auf, mein” and “Ay, Deus, se sab’ora meu amigo” were highlights of those three weeks. And the process of learning those songs and others, picking up an instrument I hardly knew and strumming until I figured it out, taught me more than a few minutes of music.

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Skydiving by Cat Verlicco (@growlette5)

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Skydiving by Cat Verlicco (@growlette5)

I have been tandem skydiving twice as I write this, but once this post has been published I will have hopefully gone up for a third jump. Weather of course is the biggest factor on any given day. I am by no means an expert, I don’t really even like rollercoasters, but here’s my story about the first time.

I was first offered a free tandem skydive as payment for my band playing a gig up at Skydive New England in October 2018. I couldn’t say no to an opportunity like that! And I’m lucky the band has since been asked to play up there a couple more times over 2019.

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What I Learned From Publishing My First Two Novels in 2020 by J.R.H. Lawless (@SpaceLawyerSF)

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What I Learned From Publishing My First Two Novels in 2020 by J.R.H. Lawless (@SpaceLawyerSF)

Nobody said starting out as a debut author was going to be easy. Especially with a small, dynamic, but still relatively new press. I was prepared to put in a hell of a lot of work, between the launch of my debut SF Humor novel, ALWAYS GREENER (also here on audiobook), back in February 2020 (that was at least three or four years ago, right?) and the sequel, THE RUDE EYE OF REBELLION, launching in eBook and special edition hardcover on September 22nd, with the paperback and audiobook coming in early 2021.

But that all changed when 2020 attacked.

Since then, it’s been a bit of a scramble to make the best out of the situation and limit the damage. Here are some of the tidbits I’ve learned so far.

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The Unexpected Benefits of Giving Yourself Allowances by Rosemary Poppe (@RosemaryPoppe)

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The Unexpected Benefits of Giving Yourself Allowances by Rosemary Poppe (@RosemaryPoppe)

What have I learned from quarantine? One thing this experience has made me realize is, just how tired I was. I have always been someone who rises with the sun and packs as much into a day as is possible. However, with fewer constraints on my time, I am starting to understand why people sleep in. I never understood it before, but I get it now. Naps—I still don’t get those—but there’s time.

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What I've Learned From My Quarantine Life by M. Dalto (@MDalto421)

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What I've Learned From My Quarantine Life by M. Dalto (@MDalto421)

The most ironic part of writing a blog post about writing during quarantine is that these words will be the most I’ve written in succession since our State of Emergency went into effect March 16, 2020.

But when Gillian asked me to contribute, who was I to say no to the opportunity to attempt to put my thoughts and feelings about how this pandemic has affected me not only emotionally but professionally. It was a blog post I had considered writing for myself when this was all said and done anyway, but since we don’t see an end in sight anytime soon and this opportunity arose, I suppose now is as good a time as any to lay it all out.

So here’s my real talk: I can’t write anymore.

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Quarantine Life by Sherrie Gonzalez (@sherrieberrie)

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Quarantine Life by Sherrie Gonzalez (@sherrieberrie)

When asked what I learned from the experience of being quarantined, I would say the most important lesson I learned was how to change and adjust my entire life in a matter of months to feel sane and normal again. While I’m incredibly thankful to still have a job and be able to pay my bills during this time, simply being made to stay at home exposed every problem with my life decisions within the first week. This was now a time to address these problems head-on and quickly.

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Creation During Catastrophe: What I've Learned During Quarantine by Chris Santoro (@santorodesign1)

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Creation During Catastrophe: What I've Learned During Quarantine by Chris Santoro (@santorodesign1)

I imagine there are plenty of people out there reading this, who can’t even remember this past New Year’s Eve. With how this year has gone, it feels like memories of “normal” life become more distant. While I have moments like that myself, I still remember New Year’s Eve 2019 like it was yesterday.

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Learning How to Give Myself Permission to Relax by Erica Robyn (@ericarobyn)

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Learning How to Give Myself Permission to Relax by Erica Robyn (@ericarobyn)

Right before COVID-19 hit the state of New Hampshire, I had been working with my therapist to focus on giving myself permission to relax. Typing that out, it seems so silly… Who doesn’t enjoy relaxing, right?

Well, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been the type of person to go-go-go. It’s so odd. While I am entirely capable of being patient when I need to be, I also really struggle with slowing down and taking time for myself.

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My Quarantine Cycle by M. Hallrie

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My Quarantine Cycle by M. Hallrie

The year 2020 started out as one of the best years of my life. I had a job I didn’t hate, I had a purpose, I had found a great guy, and the great Bill Withers was still alive. In late February, I got engaged and suddenly all eight of the last years of my life Pinteresting wedding decor (whether or not I was in a relationship) could almost be rationalized…almost. How was I to know that the timeless sapphire ring on my finger would open up a wormhole to the underworld, from which a whirling shit storm would come? Enter stage left, good ole’ Miss. Rona!

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The Lens of Our Time by A. Garrett (@AubreyMedusa)

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The Lens of Our Time by A. Garrett (@AubreyMedusa)

“And we saw it then,

An Age, set down in Crystal.

And the more we gazed down,

The more clear it all became.

All our fears, worries,

Joys and bonds,

Reflections of a world

Now only Forever”

—Evelyn Wort, “The Dragon and Web”

It's never been more clear to me, today here in the summer of 2020, that what's important never changed.

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Rediscovering Self Worth by Brenton Barnes (@brentonsquared)

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Rediscovering Self Worth by Brenton Barnes (@brentonsquared)

The beginning of my quarantine was sudden. It started in the middle of March and nearly every day since has felt exactly the same. My day planners, to-do lists, photographs on my phone, and hours logged on Animal Crossing say otherwise, but as a people, we have collectively existed in a state of unknowing. With no idea when this pandemic will end, we’ve reached the point where the past five months feel more like an abridged year with compressed and confusing experiences throughout.

Somewhere in that time, something occurred that felt a long time coming: I became uncertain of my value and self-worth.

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What this Spoonie Learned During Quarantine and How it Can Help YOU Write by Winter Krane (@WinterKrane)

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What this Spoonie Learned During Quarantine and How it Can Help YOU Write by Winter Krane (@WinterKrane)

When I meet new people, I get asked one inevitable question:

"How do you find time to write with five kids?"

I'll tell you right now—This is small talk. They aren't actually asking, just like "Nice weather, huh?" doesn't require anyone's opinion.

This means my answer can be equally simple.

"I make it a priority." Bam! We're done here—next topic.

But WRITERS, they want to know. This 2020 quarantine had even me asking that same question.

...Only this time, the answer was:

I can't.