Monday Muse

Fireworks, Dating New Orleans, and the Two of Swords

Happy Monday! I hope all of my USA-ian friends had a good Independence weekend. I went down to the Mississippi River to watch fireworks on Friday. But otherwise I mostly stayed inside because right now New Orleans feels like being inside of a mouth.

A week ago, I was in Pittsburgh for the semi-annual residency at Seton Hill University, where I’m a mentor and professor. Residencies are five-day intensives where students take classes, participate in critique workshops, and listen to guest speakers. It’s sort of like writer camp and it’s always a blast. I’m mentoring four students this term and I’m also teaching a class called “Writing About Popular Fiction,” which basically covers things like academic papers, query letters, and marketing materials.

Now that I’m back in town for a while, I’ve decided that my goal for July is to date my city. I’ve been in New Orleans since October full time, but I’ve not put enough effort into making it a home instead of just a place I live. In short, I need to make some friends and find some things to do.

My first step in this effort was to join a gym. There’s one in the French Quarter called the New Orleans Athletic Club, which is huge health club that’s got an indoor pool, dozens of group classes (including improv, belly dancing and some other fun options), and lots of other awesome amenities.

What sold me on it, though, is the bar.

Before you worry about my liver, let me explain. I’m self employed. This means that I spend a lot of time working alone in my home. It’s not great for my extroverted self. But this gym has a bar that doubles as a coffee bar and a library. These work areas are golden because I basically have a coworking space included in the cost of my membership.

I’ve basically found a place where I can work out, write, and socialize. That’s pretty priceless.

I also signed up for a craft class at one of my favorite bookstores, Garden District Book Shop. We’ll be making miniature book nooks. Crafting plus books? Yes please. (This bookstore also has a bar. Sensing a New Orleans theme?)

The bottom line is that I live in one of the coolest cities in the world and it’s filled with interesting and kind people. It can be scary to go to new places and to meet new people, but so far everyone has been really friendly and eager to help. And I’d rather be a little self-conscious in new places than hiding in my house lonely. Plus, the Muse loves adventure so I’m trying to feed her a hearty diet of new experiences.

In other news, I’m happy to report that the novel I’m writing has finally started behaving itself. I’ve been steadily writing most days and making great progress. It feels so good to be excited to sit down to write.

Resources and Links:

-milk and cookies had a great post on “the paradox of self awareness” that’s worth a read

-My friend Chelsea Conradt recently had a new adult thriller book release, The Farmhouse, which I was lucky enough to read an early copy of and gave a cover quote for it. I’m excited to report that it’s been on the USA Today Bestseller list for two weeks running.

Here’s what I said about it: "The Farmhouse will leave you looking over your shoulder for stalker barns. The story is a satisfyingly layered narrative that explores both the isolation of small towns and the loneliness one can feel within their closest relationships. I expect big things for Conradt."

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Today’s Tarot Prompt: The Two of Swords

Traditionally, this card is associated with indecision. But to be more specific in regards to creative work, this is a functional freeze in the face of overwhelm. The traditional imagery is a person seated with a blidnfold over their eyes and holding two crossed swords. That figure only has to put down one of their swords and remove the blindfold in order to see the situation more clearly. But they’re frozen.

In this deck, the figure is standing and not blindfolded. Swords hover on either side of their head, indicating two choices. A crescent moon, and water behind them and two mountain peaks as well. Moon and water indicate emotions, intuition, and subconscious. The mountains are challenges to be overcome—in this case two big choices, perhaps.

Tarot cards are not verdicts; they’re invitations. What mental burdens can you set aside right now? It’s time to reconnect with your creative depths to find clarity. Sometimes our confusion and overwhelm can come from external messaging mucking up our internal narrative. Shut out those pouter voices, get really still, and listen to the quiet messages of your soul.

Get out of your head and root into your creative heart.

Ideas for inviting this energy into your day:

-Movement is a wonderful vehicle for escaping your headspace. Take a walk. Turn on some music and dance. Even a shower can help. Anything that interrupts the mental gridlock.

-Brain dump. Unload your mental clutter onto a piece of paper. Make a to do list. Write down all of the reasons you’re not moving forward. Unburden your head. YOu might find this releases enough bandwidth to thaw the functional freeze.

-Journal. Topic: Where is my overwhelm rooted? Explore the possibilities and you may find that you’ve created roadblocks where none actually exist.

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That’s all for today, friends. I hope this week is full of delight and discovery for you.

—The Messy Muse