Ms. Kiev: She Who Rules The Roost, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 2009, photo © 2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
It’s been a long week. Except for the house noises, it’s quiet as the wind. Liz went to the hardware store to buy a new shower head. For the first time this week, I’m alone. It was a hard week. I felt sick on Tuesday but went to work anyway. After becoming a national statistic earlier this year, for the last few months I’ve been driving a truck, delivering parts to machinists to be electropolished, drilled, deburred, picking them up again. It’s Saturday morning, a sacred time when I can actually catch up on reading my own blog.
Weekend hours are sweet. I promised Kiev during her morning ritual with Liz that I’d post a photo of her. She’s the only cat in our family who hasn’t made it to the cover of red Ravine. (Mr. Stripeypants was published for his support of Obama; we lost sweet boy Chaco this year.) I was sitting on the couch, writing. Liz called me on the BlackBerry from the bedroom; I picked up to hear her whispering that I should come and see the cats. I tiptoed in and took these camera shots. Family time.
The first photograph is alpha cat Kiev in her favorite position. Liz places her arm just so; Kiev curls up in the crook, same position every time. I have discovered that Kiev is difficult to photograph. She is jet black and her catty panther features all blend into night. I guess I need one of those umbrella reflectors. I do the best I can.
How do you spend your days and nights? What are your weekends like? Do you take any downtime, time to do things you can’t get to during the week? Or are you retired, off of work, and every day is the weekend for you. It seems like when I have time, I have less money. More money, less time. Where’s the balance?
In catching up on red Ravine, I see that Bob was moved by Anna Deavere Smith in our Writing Topic — 3 Questions. Our guest Buzz explained some of the nuances of basketball banter in his poetry post Hoops. ybonesy wrote about art as play, community art, something dear to our hearts on red Ravine. The renga has heated up in the Daily Haiku. And we made April plans to go to Lake Pepin in the Midwest writing group I am a part of.
I’m relieved to know that even though I feel dead beat at the end of my truck driving day, the creative world goes on around me. And sweeps me along with it. I’m grateful for that.
For Christmas, I may ask Liz for a pocket protector and a few cotton work shirts with my first name stitched above the pocket, but I’m still a writer, a photographer, an artist. Still full of wonder at the animal track flannel sheets in the photo behind Kiev. Making a living as writers and artists isn’t easy. All of you make it easier. Thank you for that.
Morning Rituals, Mr. Stripeypants: Paw Over Hand, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 2009, photo © 2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
-posted on red Ravine, Saturday, December 5th, 2009 with gratitude to Liz who holds up the other half of the sky, my family and friends who check up on me, and Roma, the best blog partner a woman could ever have
In reference to your line: “Making a living as writers and artists isn’t easy,” I have one for the home team.
Last summer, I had to go through arbitration when my insurance company discontinued paying doctor bills from a car accident. Sitting in the room were two lawyers, the arbitrator (also a lawyer), and me…the one with the sore neck. These were lawyers who have “made it.” Not church mice lawyers.
In a stroke of terrible luck, the lawyer on the opposing team started asking me questions about my writing. I knew something bad was going to happen. It did. When trying to determine if I deserved any lost wages, she asked me how much I made in 2005, 2006, and 2007 as a writer. I tried to say I didn’t have the records with me, but she knew she had hit a soft spot. Surrounded by people who make six (bordering on seven) figures, I had to tell the humiliating truth. I heard myself trying to explain how a writer has to establish relationships with editors and the writing world. That it isn’t just about the money. They were looking at me like I had a branch growing out of my head. How does someone exist on such crumbs? Oh, she probably isn’t a writer at all. Just another wannabe. If I could have, I would have thrown up or started crying. Another ridiculous moment trying to pursue what I love.
But this week, out of the blue (and four months later), one of those three lawyers contacted me. He needed advice on how to write something.
The writer scores.
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Yea, Sinclair. Make sure you get a contract in writing from him before you offer advice. (I’m joking.)
Sometimes I wonder when/if IRS will call me in to discuss my tax returns because I haven’t turned a profit from writing in 3 years. My tax person says she will defend me if they do.
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QM, I was fond of the picture of the Mr. Stripeypants. I think you could make muffs like that and sell them to cat lovers to keep their hands warm when the cat isn’t available.
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Sinclair, that IS a good score for the writer. 8) It makes me sad that you had to go through that though, to have them looking at you like you’d gone mad. Hard to explain to others how much time it takes to get established. It is a lifelong commitment. And even then, no guarantees.
You know what I could never figure out? I read about a few writers from the distant past who made it big with a first or second book, then decided they didn’t want to be writers at all. They were happier doing something else. What was that about?
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Bob, I think my tax person tells me the same thing — she’ll stand behind me. Lately, I’ve been wondering how this will all come out in the end with the writing and making a good living. People sure don’t become writers or artists because they want to get rich. So much else going on there.
I’ll tell Mr. Stripeypants what you said about the hand muffs. Oh, and Liz, too. She’ll get a kick out of that. I had not even put it together that he looked like a muff. 8) Ha, cracks me up!
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Oh, one thing I wanted to mention about Kiev. She was the first to welcome me into Liz’s home. The two boys, Chaco and Mr. Stripeypants weren’t too sure (Mama’s boys — I might have even been a bit jealous of them!). But Kiev took to me right away. It endeared me to her forever. 8)
Now I’ve bonded with all the cats so those issues are no longer bothersome. I have my own relationship with each one of their little personalities. Can’t imagine life without them. Still miss Chaco sometimes. And think I hear him pattering around the house at night. Hmmm, I wonder…
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QM, Whatever puts food on the table these days has nothing to do with your creativity and talents. I’m a Printer by day and by night…well Hell, I may decide to become a super hero and wear a cape to exercise my creativity (though the tights on my thighs worry me) Just keep on doing what you love and and what makes you happy and fulfilled.
And Sinclair…I’m terribly glad that there are more struggling, talented writers out there than fast talking lawyers. Otherwise we would have missed William Blake…Oscar Wilde and Edgar Alan Poe…
Never stop reaching for it…Both of you
BTW QM…tell Liz she has lovely hands
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I love that photo, QM. You should see how clearly it also showed up on my iPhone, and it was in the smaller version, where the photo took up the entire screen that I also noticed how lovely Liz’s hand is.
Sinclair, that is a great story!
Hey QM, I missed you this past week. I felt your absence on the blog, and it made me again realize how much I appreciate your partnership in this endeavor. I also sense a collective energy out there. It’s weird.
And Heather, I’m with you. We must persist, persist, persist! I am convinced that persistence and courage (which it takes in order to persist)–not talent–are the factors that differentiate those who succeed (and I don’t mean monetarily, but rather, by getting their works out there and living their dreams) and those who do not.
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Heather, love the super hero idea, tights and all! And thanks for the encouragement. I’m glad because I don’t think I can stop! Have to keep going. I’d be lost without the creative part of my life.
BTW, Heather and ybonesy, told Liz about the hands comment and she half blushed and said, “Hey, this is supposed to be about Kiev.” (But secretly, I think she liked that you liked her hands.) I have always told her she has wonderful hands. They are strong and elegant.
ybonesy, thank you. I missed being on the blog last week. I feel stronger going into this new Monday. I know what you mean — there is a collective energy. It’s hard to explain. But after nearly 3 years, it’s definitely there!
I think you are right about persistence and courage. And finding strength in the practices, whatever they may be. red Ravine is one of them for me. Okay, off to get ready for work. I’m driving today! (Hope I get that pocket protector.) 8)
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