Finding it in Beauty

Lucky me - this was the view for my morning jogs

So my residency on Whidbey Island (north of Seattle) ended and I immediately hopped a plane for Maui. My mind was crammed full with all the fantastic material I’d been given at the residency (see previous post from 1/16/2010). It was also full with the stress of the approaching deadline for my thesis novel. Yep, I’m down to the final 5-weeks for completed first draft. Yikes!

And, as wonderful as a trip to Hawaii is, this trip was not vacation; it was a work event for my spouse. This means being “on” for much of the week. Not that this is a bad thing, but it’s definitely a thing, adding stress to an already overfilled level.

Every day I’d fire up the computer and try to figure out the new structure plan for my novel. I’d pull up all the notes from professors and fellow students and advisers with great suggestions (thanks again, John and  Flip). And then stare at the proverbial blank screen. So I returned to my exercise plan, which includes a 2+-miles morning run. And guess what? All that beauty – from what the eyes could see (take a look at this photo), to the ears hear (that crashing surf), and the nose smell (those gorgeous flowers) – seeped in. It took up so much room, the beauty shoved away the stress.  As hokey as it sounds, with the mind clear with nothing but beauty, it was so easy to find the inspiration I’d been grappling to find.

By day three of my runs, the revised structure for  my novel began to flesh itself out. And I feel as if I’m back on the path.

On my final day on Maui, I wanted to dance in celebration – but this beautiful girl (humpback whale) jumped for joy on my behalf. I thank her…

Jumping with joy...