Some of you might have noticed that I’ve been AWOL for a little while on Pear and Ivy, and some of you might have already migrated to another (inferior but consistent) blog. While most of my absence can be attributed to laziness, I should also mention that there’s been a lot on my plate lately.
- I’ve just started my last semester of uni.
- I’ve been working on other projects (personal essays, short stories and a debut novel).
- My cat recently passed away and it was like the universe punched me in the guts.
While studying doesn’t really take up most of my time, dealing with other writing projects and grief really has.
Most lifestyle bloggers/vloggers are quick to talk about things such as the best places to get a cocktail or how to KonMari your summer wardrobe, but next to none will talk about the lifestyle choices that really aren’t a choice: death and dealing with grief. I’m not sure why they don’t, very few people can avoid death, so it doesn’t make sense not to write articles like ‘How to Comfort A Grieving Friend’ in a matter that doesn’t have the charisma of a WikiHow article. Grief, as a personal thing, is tricky. It’s something we can experience multiple times and still not know how to navigate. You have your days when you reckon you’re OK, and then the next day you’re probably not.
It’s also been hard writing anything because I tend to lose focus really easily. I can churn out a first chapter or a section of dialogue quite easily, but then when I come back to it later, I run away and start a new project. So far, my writing To Do List consists of:
- Debut novel
- Essay on grief
- Essay on the history of funerals
- Essay on feminism
- Short story
No idea on when I’ll actually finish any of those projects because even the first drafts are ‘works in progress.’ It’s hard to provide evidence that I do actually write things that aren’t assignments or feature articles.
I’ll be going to Sydney for a few days tomorrow, so if you’d like any blog posts about anything related to that, just let me know. Or if you actually want any kind of grief advice, I’ll give it a go.
Much love,
Pear and Ivy xxxx
Pear and Ivy 