Before I moved to Florida, I struggled to find the time to write. Evenings and weekends were the best option, but I worked full-time and had all the usual day-to-day obligations: housework, laundry, shopping, cooking, etc. Aside from my own chores, I had taken on my mom’s as well. My dad passed away last March and because she doesn’t drive, she’s dependent on others for her prescriptions, groceries, and errands.

Trying to write seemed impossible and I often felt that I should be doing more “important” things. That somehow writing was gratuitous and there was no return on the investment of time. I would never make any money or a name for myself, so why  bother? What I failed to realize was the satisfaction I get from the process, and the value there is in that fact alone. Just like when I take an invigorating walk, or eat a good meal, writing satisfies a need within me. The walk gets the endorphins flowing and clears out the cobwebs. A meal satisfies hunger. Writing quenches a desire that has always been there and I feel more “complete” for having done it.

Because of my recent move, my schedule has changed drastically. I’m not working right now and living with my children. Obviously, I’m helping around the house with cooking, cleaning, and yard work. I’m also job searching, but I still have more free time on my hands, which makes finding time to write much easier.

For now, my mornings consist of: coffee, beginning the writing process, more coffee, exercise of some type, and more writing. Interspersed throughout the rest of the day (depending on the day) is grocery shopping, meal prep, and chores. The computer is always waiting for my return, and I come back to it between the other items on my list. The breaks in between writing are the mediocre stuff of life, which can amazingly inspire the creative process, if we learn to keep an open mind. As writers we need to adopt the approach that photographers have, and that’s to always be on the look out for the next great picture. It can be an ordinary subject, but with a new or different perspective can become something extra ordinary.

If I suddenly had an extra block of time added to my day, I would use it for additional reading and writing, two of my favorite hobbies!