Monday Muse

Milestone Birthdays, Misc Recs, and Tarot Rompt

Happy Monday, friends! It’s a rainy morning in New Orleans. I’ve written 1,000 words so far, and I spent most of the weekend writing, as well. The book in progress has passed the 45k word mark, which is thrilling.

Today is also the last Monday of my 40s. That’s right—I turn 50 this Friday.

That’s so weird to write. If you had told me when I turned 40 that I’d be single and living in New Orleans by the time I turned 50 I would have told you to put down the crazy juice.

Alas.

I’m not one of those people who wants to lie about my age. I’ve earned every damned year I’ve lived and I’m proud of what I’ve done with my time so far. In many ways, I’m still in my prime.

But I’ve also started seeing evidence that my age matters to other people. It’s subtle but it’s there. I’m also highly aware of the fact that I don’t have more life ahead of me than behind me.

So what do I want to do with the rest of my life? It’s not so different than what I’ve done with my life before this. I want to create, have adventures, embrace new people, love my people, and continue to grow as a human. Yet I’ve also done enough growth to be more content with simply being content. Stillness is a new friend, and so is solitude.

I don’t pretend that I’ve got it all figured out. After all, there’s a reason this newsletter is called The Messy Muse and not The Perfect Muse.

I expect my 50s will be as surprising as my 40s turned out to be. The difference is I’m now wise enough to understand that change is inevitable and that I have survived and thrived through enough challenges that there’s no reason to believe I can’t roll with whatever else comes along. I don’t want it to be hard, mind you, but I now know I have the tools to handle hard.

I also expect my 50s will be wonderful. There’s tremendous power in expecting good things. After a two-year tilt-o-whirl, I’m very optimistic about the future. One of the benefits of being middle aged is that I feel less driven by proving myself to others and more motivated to simply delight myself. It’s incredibly freeing.

I also plan to make this birthday a monthlong celebration. I have girlfriends coming into town this weekend to celebrate with me. Next week, I’ll go to Texas to celebrate with family. And then, in two weeks, I head to Australia for two weeks to celebrate with another friend who is turning 50, who lives in Sydney. Because I like to share the things that delight me, I will be journaling form that trip, so expect to see lots of pictures of wombats and kangaroos soon.

Now onto the Monday Muse…

The Muse Recommends

Here’s a list of things I’m loving right now. None of these are affiliate links, btw. I just like sharing stuff I like.

1. John Truby’s The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works. I’ve been a fan of Truby’s Anatomy of Story for years, and I even use it as a textbook in my intro to the novel class. So I was excited to read Anatomy of Genres. I’ve found his approach to breaking down the DNA of story very insightful and you may enjoy it if you’re interested in deepening your craft.

2. Hamilton Beach Smoothie Blender. Before you ask why I’m sharing something non-creative, understand that a well-fed muse is a productive one. A hangry muse will burn it all down. Also since I’m a middle-aged woman in the throes of perimenopause, protein has become a major pursuit in my life. I try to start my days with a protein smoothie because they’re delicious and an easy way to knock out 30 grams of protein in one sitting, and this little blender has changed the game. First, it’s under $20. Second, it’s single serve and you can drink your smoothie directly from the container you use to make it in. Fewer dishes to wash also make my muse happy. I have the pink one because it delights me.

3. Fiction Recs!

   -I’ve been rereading A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas because I needed a comfort read. The battle of wills between Cassian and Nesta may even be better on my second read.

   -My friend Molly Harper sent me an advanced copy of her upcoming book A Proposal to Die For. It comes out on April 8. Molly is one of the wittiest writers and nicest people I know, and I’m so excited to take this book on the flight to Australia with me.

   What are you reading right now?

Tarot Prompt

Today’s card is one of my favorites: The Empress

This is major divine feminine energy. She is creation itself. She’s fertile and nurturing. She’s the universal mother, pregnant with possibility. This is major muse energy.

I love that she popped up today as spring is blooming everywhere.

The guidebook for the Light Seer’s Deck gives this advice about The Empress: “Continue to move calmly and gracefully in the direction of that which whispers yes.”

What direction is whispering yes to you, friend? How can you nurture your creative project today? Journal about that for five minutes. Let me know what you discover.