Here Comes The New

Well hello.
I'm back.

It's been more than three months of silence from my end, and for that I apologize.

Life has been... a rollercoaster for me, lately. I've had a lot of ups and downs. Some of the most wonderful experiences of my life have occurred in that time, and some of the hardest.

I am... pushing through.
I always do.


This post, however, isn't supposed to be about me.
Well, it is, but not like... in that way.


I'm here to tell you very briefly what I plan to do with this blog.
In short: nothing.

In long:
I believe my work with this blog is reaching it's end. Two years was a good run, and I'm glad I had the chance to do it. I learned a lot, I grew, and I hope everyone who ever read this blog grew as well. My life, however, is moving away from this blog. I was gone for three months, and while at first it felt weird not to write anything for this, it was simultaneously freeing.

So.

I'll no longer be posting.
I won't get rid of this blog (at least not until the time comes where no one will miss it), but I won't be updating it. It'll be consigned to the oblivion of the interwebs.

I suppose... this is goodbye.

It was a wonderful run. I'm sure most of you who end up reading this are people I know outside of this blog. If so, I'm sure I'll see you around. For those of you who I don't, well... thank you.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for reading after three months of silence.

And...
Goodbye.

I'm not done writing, not at all. On the contrary, I've started three novels since we last spoke, and I'm working on finishing one of them so I can focus on the other two.

So I'm sure you'll see my name again.
Someday.


Until then, keep forging. (ha look I'm tying in the name of my blog how cute am I?)
Don't stop.

The Art of Life

Balancing life is hard.

I know I keep posting these non-writing, short pieces about taking time to enjoy life, to invest in it, to create art, but there seems to be a recurring pair of themes I discover in my everyday activities: life is the busiest art. And sometimes change is okay.

These two things are with me each day, as I create art in various forms (most recently, in the form of mathematical proofs) and as I ponder the fact that I haven’t posted in two weeks now on this blog.

I’m sorry.

Yet… I’m not. Life has changed. A few months ago, I would have been horrified at the idea of not posting at least once a week.

Life changes.

To be totally honest, I’m considering taking an extended break from blogging.

I’ve run dry.

In fact, while sitting here thinking “what should I blog about”, I came up blank. Sure, there’s all sorts of areas of writing that I could write about, but… I don’t feel any of them right now. I don’t… care. Right now.

That sounds awful, but it’s the most honest truth I can give you.

So I’m going to do it.

I’m not ending this blog. I’ll try to post every once in a while as I step away, but it won’t be every week. I’m anticipating the break lasting until December or so. Three months.

That’s not lot.

Three months is the blink of an eye in the scope of eternity.

I can take three months. You can take three months.

Life is something to be lived. Explored. Seen, felt, touched, heard, tasted.

Find a story.

Your own story, someone else’s. A real story, a fictional story, a story of hopes or fears or dreams or dangers or life or death or victory or defeat.

Find a story.

I’m out to find several. I want to find my own story, the stories of my friends, and the stories of the art I want to tell.

Perhaps my story will cross paths with this place again.

Perhaps not.

I… suppose I should apologize for those who were looking forward to the next writing tip I had for them. I guess… patience is my next tip.

Be patient as you find your story. But never stop looking.

Returning to the New

Next week, school starts. I'm going back to college. Chemical engineering 'bout to get lit up in here. Woot.

Personally, I'm excited. I get to take physics 2, organic chemistry, statics, dynamics, health and the body, and stagecraft. It's gonna be a busy semester, a hard semester. A good semester.

In many ways, I'm going back to a second home. There are people there who I care about very deeply, and I can't wait to see them again. In fact, I can't wait for any of it. The math, the engineering, the writing, the theatre, the design, the campus itself, the people. Things will be amazing.

It's a return. I'm returning to things I know.
At the same time, it's all going to be new. A new year, new freshmen, new theatre productions, new classes, new subjects, new adventures.

It's a little intimidating.
But...


It's also good.


Today, I'd like to talk about a little about that idea: returning to new things.

The Importance of Going Home

Everyone needs a home. Home is a sense of belonging and purpose. At home, you mean something. Whether you something to someone or to some ideal, you have purpose. Without you, something's not right.

Adventures are good. Leaving home is important. Without those things, you won't grow as a person to be full and colorful and passionate. However, if you never come home, you don't have roots. You won't have a place to take that colorful passion and mature it into your art. Coming home gives you a chance to breathe, to evaluate the changes in yourself and keep those which benefit you and those around you.

Home is valuable. Having a home (or multiple homes) fills you up for the next adventure. I'm fortunate enough to have three or four places/groups I would call "home". That's so valuable to me. I need those places. I hope you have those places, too. How many can vary, but I hope you have at least one. 

Home is a wonderful place. Returning to it is wonderful.

But so is going out.

Striking Out into the New

Staying home is great, sure. Being able to be in a place where you are wanted, needed, and loved is precious. Nothing can compare to it, and nothing can replace it. 

Staying home forever is... well, not so good. New experiences feed our souls with passion. Adventures and lessons and forays out of our comfort zones push us forward in maturity. There is great power in stepping out of the known into the unknown and facing it head on. 

When you leave home, you gain. When you return home, you prepare yourself for the next great adventure.

For me, I'm about to do both at the same time. It's an exhilarating thought. I get to go home, and I get to go on an adventure. 

What about you? Where is your home? Where are you going on an adventure next? What do you hope to gain? I'd love to hear about it.

NOTE: there will be no post next week, as I transition into a new schedule at college. I'll be picking up two weeks after. See you then!