Bernadette Benda

Hello all.

My attempt to get back into a regular blogging schedule did not….go exactly how I wanted it to.

But!! I got my first Covid vaccine last week so that’s cool. And I didn’t grow an extra head or anything.

It’s May, but here in Ohio it’s still freaking cold (ok, ok, ok. It’s been in the 40’s and 50’s, which is not freaking cold. But I’ve gotten to the point where I need it to be over 60 degrees out. I need vitamin D, people). The trees are all full, the chipmunks are back, and I have a PERFORMANCE this weekend (outdoor performance of the Sleeping Beauty). All the signs of spring are here except the temperature.

So what are we talking about today? Perhaps why I’ve been MIA? No. Because that story is long and complicated. I’m back, and that’s all that matters (hopefully I’m back). I don’t have a lot to say today, and since I literally only have like an hour to write this, we’re going to keep it short. Here’s what I have to say:

Not creating can be draining too.

Burnout from creating is real. One of the occupational hazards of being a working creative (writer, artist, whatever) is creative burnout, since you’re constantly creating, constantly churning out creations of some sort. Creating can drain you.

But not creating can bleed you dry, too.

In the last month or so I feel like some pretty steady things in my life have gone a little haywire (blogging, journaling, reading….) (all for good reasons and reasons that I am very aware of). While I’m still creating (hello editing, my old friend) (and also like my job is making things. There have been plenty of fairy dolls and dragons made recently), there are others ways I stopped, or at least kinda stopped.

Like blogging. Journaling is something I’m trying to get consistent on again. And reading (I know that’s not creating, but I swear there’s a direct feeding tube from reading to creativity). And strangely enough, it has been a little draining not to blog. Yes, I may have more free time because of it, and my brain may be doing less work, but that’s sort of the point.

It’s like exercise. Yes, an intense workout regime is intense. It’s draining and at some point you need to rest. But at the same time, exercise can give you energy. Moving around gives you energy.

Creating is an energy giver as well. Yes, it can drain, but it can also fill.

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And that’s all! Fingers crossed that I’ll actually do what’s scheduled in my planner and you know…write blogs.

Thanks for reading!