Tuesday, May 22, 2012

This might be turning into an annual refrain, but I damn near forgot to renew our hosting service again, with only two days left on the current lease. That’s what it is, after all–rent that is levied yearly so we may continue to occupy our corner of the Internet. Having just completed the checkout process–which, if you’re familiar with GoDaddy, is a harrowing ordeal fraught with cross-selling up the ass–I feel assaulted. And nostalgic! That’s the important part.

I’ve mentioned to you why I update this site twice a week: to keep my brain in shape. While that’s a big reason for why I persist, it’s not the only reason. I also write because I loathe the specter of a blank page and all the dread that comes with finding that first sentence. For me, the creative process is like wandering in a forest at dusk, desperately searching for two, three perfect pieces of kindling to combine and ignite.

Sometimes this kindling is readily at hand, especially when you’re genuinely interested in something. Inspiration follows freely, you ride hot, and the words flow on their own accord. Other times, you find yourself in a cold spell, and I’ve been firmly in this camp recently. But even then, I’d like to think there’s something noble about the effort made. Perhaps I’m still growing, somehow, simply by grinding it out. In dips like these, I’m not gunning for the gold–the ribbon for participation will do just fine.