Tuesday 8 May 2012

Small Amounts of Magic

Dwarf gardenia,
further dwarfed by me training it as a bonsai.
Getting happy emails from readers puts a smile on my face all day.
Lovely news from publishers makes me all kind of ecstatic.
Rave reviews send me loopy with joy.
But these are all "outside" factors making me happy.

When I have days where these things don't happen, am I miserable?
Well, kind of.
BUT I have also found ways to be happy in myself, so that I don't have to rely on outside influences to make me happy.
Obviously a good day's writing is a delight in itself.
Hobbies are also awesome. Nothing to do with writing, publishing, publicity, anything.
If anything, hobbies are the singular pursuit of the mundane. And they provide small amounts of magic to my day.
Like this dwarf gardenia that I turned into a bonsai.
Every time I look at it, I can't stop smiling. It's something I've done, for myself, and I don't need anyone else's permission or approval. It's mine, I love it, it brings me joy and contentment.

Which could also be my way of saying I've found the perfect way to procrastinate when I should be writing!

What hobbies or simple pleasures do you take out of the every day? What small amounts of magic bring a smile to your face?
Share the magic with me.

5 comments:

Emmie said...

Have you seen this? It's about how to maximise your creativity.

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/03/08/steal-like-an-artist-austin-kleon-book/

See number five: "Hobbies are important"

You're spot on and maxmising your creativity!

Ebony McKenna. said...

That's awesome Emmie,
thanks for the link :-D

Hooray for procrastinating. I mean, being "creative". :-D

alexia said...

I have always wanted to learn to tend bonsai! For now, other than writing, I get enjoyment out of dance exercise games on my son's Wii. And sometimes cooking tasty things.

Ebony McKenna. said...

Alexia, that sounds like heaps of fun. I'm keen to get a wii (for my son, of course, cough) but hubbs won't let me until they're out in HD or something.

Heather said...

LOL! The perfect way to procrastinate indeed. What a fun hobby! For me, I horseback ride, hike, and design book covers. You're right, having something you can control that makes you happy is vital!