After about six months of squeezing every minute, denying every alarm, I'm finally starting to get up earlier. Hopefully writing that down here won't jinx it. I think either my body is getting used to less sleep (unlikely, if it didn't do that during Uni) or I'm getting more restful sleep when I actually get there. I'm guessing it's the latter, which is good--usually, I can't go to sleep unless I'm at the point where I would fall asleep sitting at a desk, because my mind won't slow down and shut up, and it has never agreed with my fixed schedule.
I woke up by myself at 7:30 today, which was when I'd set my initial alarm yesterday. As usual, I went back to sleep when I should have just gotten up, because it was a natural waking stage and I should have used it, but I'm way too used to wanting to go back to sleep...even if I don't actually want to. Tomorrow, if I wake up on my own, I'm getting up. As it is, I finally did get out of my futon at 8:45 to the perky tune of "Try Again" playing in midi on my phone from the kitchen, where I'd taken it at a previous alarm in an attempt to remind myself to get up.
I put on the kettle and went back into my bedroom, folded up my futon and proceeded to...do YOGA!? I did basic yoga sets in my underwear (there's something you can only do if you live alone!) until the kettle went off, and when I went into the kitchen and went about the long process of continuously pouring hot water over the coffee grounds, I also found time to give myself a face massage, which always helps to wake me up. Coffee in hand, I returned to my room and my writing desk, where I wrote morning pages for the fourth time this week. Four out of seven days with morning pages is good for me! Hopefully I can keep that up and even increase the number. It's possible that emptying my mind in the morning is helping me to get better rest at night. It's certainly helping to stimulate me throughout the day and make me more alert.
For those of you who don't know, JK Rowling wrote an 800 word short story about James Potter and Sirius black, which involved Sirius's infamous flying motorcycle and a pair of british police officers. You can read it online HERE (click on "read our authors` stories). Ever since I started listening to Pottercast, I got back into Harry Potter fandom. The four announcers are so funny and intelligent, I feel like I have people to talk to who are like my best friends and most interesting conversation mates during college. It helps me to feel less lonely on weeknights in Omiya to listen to them...and it helps me not to forget English! Since I started Artist's Way again, I've realized how much of an influence JK Rowling has been on my life, and she is inspiring me at every turn lately.
If you haven't heard the commencement address she gave at Harvard University, please watch the video of it or read the transcript HERE. I was so moved that I don't find it terribly unlikely that I will someday decide to work for Amnesty International. JK Rowling (henceforth Jo) is a person very aware of the world, and very aware of her ability to impact it using her fame and her money. Her contributions to charities have been enormous--often, just in shedding light on the existence of that charity. In fact, the previously mentioned short story was part of a charity event where a slew of amazing authors were invited to write post cards with stories on them to be auctioned off by groups invited to bid on them. Someone in Pottercast called Jo a "golden goose" for charity. I think that's an amazing way to use her talent and fame to impact the lives of others. Some of you may remember when she wrote "Quidditch Through the Ages" and "Care of Magical Creatures" to aid the organization "Comic Relief" which promotes literacy in the UK. (let me know if I'm wrong).
Okay, so some of you may be wondering how this has inspired me in other ways than emotionally. Well, I read Jo's short story and I wondered what I would write about if I decided to make a short story involving Arianna's parents. I started jotting down ideas for what we call "drabbles" in the fan world and "short shortstories" in the literary world and, suddenly, I had it. Based on several things I know from analysing Warylin with Sammy (THANK YOU!) and about Ammaya (who was, admittedly, not very developed) I fashioned the outline of their controversial engagement. I quite like it, and I hope to write it over the next few days. I've decided to confine myself to three pages, making this a writing exercise for me. I want my writing to become more specific, which will help me in terms of length.
Wish me luck!
I woke up by myself at 7:30 today, which was when I'd set my initial alarm yesterday. As usual, I went back to sleep when I should have just gotten up, because it was a natural waking stage and I should have used it, but I'm way too used to wanting to go back to sleep...even if I don't actually want to. Tomorrow, if I wake up on my own, I'm getting up. As it is, I finally did get out of my futon at 8:45 to the perky tune of "Try Again" playing in midi on my phone from the kitchen, where I'd taken it at a previous alarm in an attempt to remind myself to get up.
I put on the kettle and went back into my bedroom, folded up my futon and proceeded to...do YOGA!? I did basic yoga sets in my underwear (there's something you can only do if you live alone!) until the kettle went off, and when I went into the kitchen and went about the long process of continuously pouring hot water over the coffee grounds, I also found time to give myself a face massage, which always helps to wake me up. Coffee in hand, I returned to my room and my writing desk, where I wrote morning pages for the fourth time this week. Four out of seven days with morning pages is good for me! Hopefully I can keep that up and even increase the number. It's possible that emptying my mind in the morning is helping me to get better rest at night. It's certainly helping to stimulate me throughout the day and make me more alert.
For those of you who don't know, JK Rowling wrote an 800 word short story about James Potter and Sirius black, which involved Sirius's infamous flying motorcycle and a pair of british police officers. You can read it online HERE (click on "read our authors` stories). Ever since I started listening to Pottercast, I got back into Harry Potter fandom. The four announcers are so funny and intelligent, I feel like I have people to talk to who are like my best friends and most interesting conversation mates during college. It helps me to feel less lonely on weeknights in Omiya to listen to them...and it helps me not to forget English! Since I started Artist's Way again, I've realized how much of an influence JK Rowling has been on my life, and she is inspiring me at every turn lately.
If you haven't heard the commencement address she gave at Harvard University, please watch the video of it or read the transcript HERE. I was so moved that I don't find it terribly unlikely that I will someday decide to work for Amnesty International. JK Rowling (henceforth Jo) is a person very aware of the world, and very aware of her ability to impact it using her fame and her money. Her contributions to charities have been enormous--often, just in shedding light on the existence of that charity. In fact, the previously mentioned short story was part of a charity event where a slew of amazing authors were invited to write post cards with stories on them to be auctioned off by groups invited to bid on them. Someone in Pottercast called Jo a "golden goose" for charity. I think that's an amazing way to use her talent and fame to impact the lives of others. Some of you may remember when she wrote "Quidditch Through the Ages" and "Care of Magical Creatures" to aid the organization "Comic Relief" which promotes literacy in the UK. (let me know if I'm wrong).
Okay, so some of you may be wondering how this has inspired me in other ways than emotionally. Well, I read Jo's short story and I wondered what I would write about if I decided to make a short story involving Arianna's parents. I started jotting down ideas for what we call "drabbles" in the fan world and "short shortstories" in the literary world and, suddenly, I had it. Based on several things I know from analysing Warylin with Sammy (THANK YOU!) and about Ammaya (who was, admittedly, not very developed) I fashioned the outline of their controversial engagement. I quite like it, and I hope to write it over the next few days. I've decided to confine myself to three pages, making this a writing exercise for me. I want my writing to become more specific, which will help me in terms of length.
Wish me luck!