Nothing is coming to me as I sit down to write. Maybe I should take a break. Go for a walk on this beautiful day. But I’d rather be writing than walking. Nothing feels better than this. Well, not this. Because this is the beginning.
The beginning is the hardest part. I am still finding my footing. Here’s what I know so far:
Who?
Me. Cha Cha. No one else is gonna do it. And quite frankly no one else can.
What?
The Cha Cha Beat—The Blog Beat featuring contemporary work. And the Back Beat, the digitally re-imagined presentation of my memoir, Let Me Out I’m Stuck.
Where?
The Cha Cha HQ has moved!
I will still write on the rocks from time to time. But I am a professional and I don’t have time to go to the beach everyday.—That’s not the reason I stopped writing on the rocks. After ten years of drought and erosion, Encinitas is resurrecting it’s rocky beaches. Construction began the first week of March. In May the caution tape came down. I sat for a while on the sand where my rocks used to be. Nothing lasts forever.
Today I am writing from my home. But not stuck inside like I’ve always been. My outdoor studio is still a work in progress. Though it’s already working. I love sitting here in my plastic aderondack chair. The Purple gel cusion I found at the thrift store for $7 is music to my tush.
This weekend I’m making more upgrades. Hanging triangle sail shades to replace my current situation, my screw-bottom beach umbrella with a milkcrate stand. And stringing solar-powered lights. It gets so dark at night.
I love to write at night, something the rocks would never allow. Below my canopy of sails and frosted globes, I am going to write my heart out.
When?
Why?
F*ck if I know. All I know is that if I don’t do this, I will go crazy. And I will regret it for the rest of my life.
How?
It starts first thing in the morning. Before I read my texts or start the Wordle. Before I’ve had my first sip of coffee I sit with a blue bic ballpoint pen and wide-ruled paper. Between sips I write myself awake, streaming my thoughts onto the page.—Yesterday I went back to read my morning’s entry and found it mostly illegible. Today I practiced writing slower, pronouncing my words, elongating my thoughts.
Next is the Mid-Day Spark. Between meetings and tasks, I pause from my workday. I use this time to make the final touches to a new Blog Beat or the next Back Beat.—Add links. Think of a title. Find and image. Categories. Tags. An hour goes by and I hit Publish.—Think of this as a lunch break. I am feeding my creative soul.
When my workday is over, I am already in my favorite chair, ready to report to the Cha Cha Beat. I don’t have to write right away.—Take a pause. Take a walk. Stretch. Switch the laundry. Do the dishes. Do not turn the TV on.
Before or after I do the dishes, I get back to the Beat. My afternoon perogative is to type 750 words. Whatever those words may be. If inspiration sparks, I’ve got a new Blog Beat. I copy and paste the paragraphs into a new post and save it as a draft. It will be a satisfying Mid-Day Spark tomorrow. If I write 750 words and nothing sticks, I shrug it off and do the dishes. …do I really do the dishes?
When these words are done, I might be done for the day. And this is important too. To allow myself to feel satisfied and accomplished. When I meet these three writing rules, I’ve won the battle. I make dinner and eat a triumphant meal.
This next part may not happen everyday—or maybe it will once my sail shades and string lights are in place.—When I come back to write at night, it’s all about the Back Beat, and the adventures of Cha Cha in Let Me Out I’m Stuck.—These nights set me free. I am not stuck on the couch watching TV and scrolling on my phone.
***
I feel grounded in my footing.—This is what I know so far. As I write, I start tapping my feet to the rythem of the Cha Cha Beat.
