Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Anything for Material

Seven months ago I left a prestigious, high-paying attorney job to write my first novel. This blog will document my journey in creating both a novel and a writer’s life. So far I've completed a draft of my book, and a handful of essays and poems. Along the way I’ve collected adventures, lessons, friends and teachers.

One great discovery: writing is an excuse to do things I otherwise wouldn’t do. Like take a surf class, work at a florist for a day, study Italian, make collages, take swimming lessons from an Albanian champion swimmer, swing on the swings by myself in the middle of the day, and befriend all kinds of unlikely characters, from the Colombian beauticians who wax my eyebrows, to Tony, the Sicilian chef who promised to teach me how to make pasta. In the service of getting material, it seems I’ll do just about anything. (Hence the title.)

And while I’m using material as an excuse to try new things, I’m learning all kind of lessons. Like how to be more open to the flow of life, when to push through barriers and when to stop, and the importance of accepting gifts, especially when they are unexpected. I have become more gentle with myself and am discovering what this self wants, what she loves, what she hates. I’m learning that the perfect really is the enemy of the good and finding the joy in doing, creating, participating in the process.

I look forward to the surprises, efforts, and failures that are sure to follow. Because if we're not making mistakes, we're not doing a good enough job of living. You hear that, Oprah? That's what I know for sure.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Lets get this blog party started!

Anne Armistead said...

You are an inspiration!

Maria said...

I love it, I love it, I love it! Want to come to hockey practice?

kara said...

I am not sure of the connection to Oprah, but your writing reminds me of a passage from the Dolly Llama.
love,kara
P.S.
For Jule's pretentious friends (ie Roon) I used the wrong spelling of Dalai Lama intentionally

Rooney said...

5th! Kara, the pretentious dig hurt. A little.

Back to lurk...

roon

beth said...

Hi, Julie,
I am Kelly Lupro's sister-in-law. I completed my MFA in fiction this past spring, nearly a year ago, and I struggle, struggle, struggle with making that scary commitment to writing. She told me about your love of writing, and that you left your good-paying job to write, and then she sent me a link to your blog. I just wanted to check in and say: Rock on, sister! I don't know you, but I'm so proud of you. Thanks for being an inspiration to the rest of us fraidy cats. I wish you all the success in the world. I will read your books when they are published, and I will definitely see your movies once your books are adapted to film. You'll do it. You will.
beth

sulu-design said...

Oh, yay! You've joined the blog world. I'm so excited to keep up with you here, and look forward, too, to the wise ass comments of Kara as a little bonus.

Michelle said...

Julie. I must admit your last paragraph made me cry. keep it up!

love, your friend in the journey,

michelle

Anne Armistead said...

I'm so sorry to hear about Carl's grandfather. Please send him my condolences! However, I did certainly appreciate some of his last words!