Every so often I need a hermit weekend. That is, a weekend when I don’t leave the apartment except to walk the dogs. I need the quiet time to recharge and to gather and organize my thoughts. Between my day job, my writing, my dancing, my financial juggling and Life’s latest challenge, I have a lot on my mind! Sometimes it gets to be too much and that’s when I take a hermit weekend.
Tag: Writing
Repost: Imposter Syndrome
I relate to this concept as a writer but also as a dancer. The higher I advance, the harder it gets, and oh my gosh, what if they figure out I’m just a bronze dancer trying to fake her way through silver steps?!
I wish I could catch that level up screen!
An Open Letter to My Self-Doubt (Rated R For Excessive Use of F-Bombs)
I originally wrote this letter in 2014 for my old website, the Uphill Factor. I like to reread it every once in awhile to remind myself. I think it’s a nice follow-up to my On Not Giving Up post.
Dear Self-Doubt,
The Blank Page – Friend or Foe?
Today is more about writing than ballroom. I am working on my second eBook (yay!) and a lot of the content is based on what I’ve already written. So I copied a bunch of blog posts into a Word document to use as the foundation for this new project. I proceeded to stare at my screen for 15 minutes without a clue of how to proceed. I started to feel like I should just delete everything and start from scratch! But there was good information from my original posts, why waste time rewriting it?
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Dance Like No One is Watching
Such a simple statement but SO hard for me to act on! I’m constantly fighting fears of embarrassment and rejection when I dance, especially when I’m trying to express emotion through my dance.
I try to hold onto those moments when I did manage to break through, live in the moment, and feel free to “just dance,” no matter who was watching.
It can be incredibly frustrating to have memories of those moments but not be able to break free of the fear in the present moment.
But I keep pushing and surround myself with positive, supportive people. And one day, I’ll break free for good.
Ask the Girl Episode 1 – Choosing a Tattoo
Welcome to the first episode of my new Ask the Girl series! I created this series to answer questions and cover topics that you, my readers, choose! If there is something that’s been on your mind, whether it’s about ballroom or writing or dealing with your demons, leave a comment or contact me directly.
For now, the series will post once a week on Tuesdays. I may post episodes more often than that if I get a lot of responses. I don’t want anyone to wait too long to see their topic addressed!
Today’s question comes from Simon, the author of https://sfarnell.wordpress.com/:
You got a tree tattoo, but how did you come to the conclusion you wanted a tree? I want a tattoo but i dont know what to have, it needs to be tasteful obviously as ill be wearing it a while, but how does one decide how to decorate their body?
Back to the Daily Grind…For Now
Tomorrow is the last day of my vacation! That exclamation point is not for excitement, mind you. More for exasperation. Does it really have to end?
I have been hampered by a stubborn headache since Thursday. Teacher even cancelled my lesson on Friday 5 minutes in because I couldn’t focus and he didn’t want me to waste a lesson if I wasn’t feeling well. I was mad at myself later for not insisting that we continue the lesson. I can be as stubborn as my headaches. I plan on feeling well enough to make it to the social dance tomorrow. Anyone else coming?
Ask the Girl!
As I pondered the next nugget of my journey to share with you, I thought I’d open the floor up for questions or topics that you want me to discuss here.
So I’m starting a new series called Ask the Girl! You can ask me about ballroom, writing, dealing with demons, pursuing a passion…anything really, the floor is yours! If there is something that’s been bugging you, chances are it’s bugging someone else too. Let’s start a dialogue and help each other out!
Comment below or send me a message. Depending on the response, I’ll dedicate at least one post per week to addressing your questions, comments, concerns, etc.
Travels of the Girl with the Tree Tattoo
This week I was lucky to be welcomed into not one, but two online homes of other dancers!
Ballroom Bombshell honored me with a “spotlight” post and even dubbed me her ballroom “big sister!” I cannot wait to read how her first competition goes in December!
https://ballroombombshell.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/spotlight-the-girl-with-the-tree-tattoo/
Stance on Dance allowed me to share my experiences in learning ballroom with her wider dance audience. I love the opportunity to share ballroom with the broader dance world.
I don’t think it comes as a surprise that I love connecting with other dancers/writers! Sometimes that means I travel away from my “home” blog for the chance of reaching a different group of people.
I want to show my gratitude for others welcoming me into their “homes” by opening up my own! If you have a story about your passion that you would like to share here, please let me know!
Writing About Ballroom for 31 Days: I Claim Top Student! (Write31Days Day 31)
We did it! It’s the 31st day of the 31 Day Writing Challenge! Anyone else exhausted? I read from more than one other 31 dayer that a challenge like this is a marathon, not a sprint. They weren’t kidding! As the ballroom writer, I’m claiming top student.
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The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 