Back to the Grind

It's definitely time--time for me to return to writing, that is. Over the last couple of weeks my desire to get back to writing has been renewed. Don't get me wrong, I have been enjoying Baby Amara very much. She is a delightful little baby and every day brings something new and cute. My favorite is the sweet gummy grins she now showers me with on a daily basis, but I digress!

Writing is a part of who I am and something that I have been passionate about since I was very young. It gives me value as a human being--other than being a wife and mother. It defines me and gives me self worth.

So how do I get back to it after taking such an extended period of time off? For me, the time off was personal. I had a baby and my mind was preoccupied with baby things, but lots of people take time off from writing for lots of different reasons. So here are four tips that may be helpful for anyone trying to get back to it.

(1) Write every day. What? I'm just getting back into it again, what do you mean write every day, you ask. Don't let this scare you. You can still ease back into it, but do something every day. A great way to do this is by journaling (which has many of its own benefits anyway). Getting yourself into the habit of writing will help you find greater success as you get more serious about it again.

(2) Look for inspiration around you. An inspired person is a motivated writer, and inspiration is literally everywhere! Perhaps it's in a favorite blog, the words of a cherished poem, or maybe it's in the wildlife that surrounds you. Find your own source of inspiration and draw from it.

(3) Set some realistic goals. For me, I want to focus on building up a client base again, so I need to think about how to do that. For example, spending a predetermined amount of time per week marketing myself will be one of my goals. Applying for X amount of jobs a week will be another. What do you desire to achieve from your writing, and how are you going to go about that are a couple questions you might want to ask yourself, then set your goals accordingly. This is a very productive suggestion for anyone--whether just starting out, or for an old pro who needs a new perspective on what he's doing.

(4) Don't be too hard on yourself. I'm going to have to try to remind myself of this one. Having a new baby in the house can be very tiring some days. I'm going to have to be honest with you, sometimes an afternoon nap will look much more tempting than spending an afternoon writing. So as long as you can maintain your focus (and if you have clients, keep your work a priority) then don't beat yourself up if you have some days that aren't real productive. Remember that probably one of the reasons you chose to be a freelance writer was for the flexibility in your schedule.

So good luck with your new or renewed endeavors, and wish me luck with mine!

Have a wonderful day!

Amara Sophia

Ok. So I need to get out my little brag book of pictures! Having a baby is just too much fun not to share! Hope you all enjoy these pictures as much as I do!







I hope and pray that your April has been as lovely as ours has been so far. It was actually 73 degrees here yesterday--a treat to enjoy after the cold and very snowy winter we had! Yuck! I am so happy better weather is on the way for good!

Take care everyone and I will be back to posting soon--and it will be writing posts, I promise!

It's a...GIRL!

After months of waiting and wondering, we finally delivered a beautiful healthy baby girl! Our precious little bundle of joy, Amara Sophia Vella, came to join us March 21, on Good Friday, at 6:07AM. She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. As of this past Monday morning, she has already gained back more than her birth weight and was weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces. A reminder of just how quickly babies grow. As my friend Betsy says, "Babies don't keep!"

So far little Amara has been a complete joy! She sleeps for three hour stretches at night, and is pretty content during the day -- although she does enjoy being held and snuggled. Of course, I have no problem with that because since she is our last baby I plan to hold and snuggle her as much as possible!

So there you have it, the latest edition to our family, and the new light of our lives! Talk to you soon!