Dave Brandl's Blog

Sorry for the delay in posting, but between family responsibilities and all the wintry weather we've had in Denver the past two weeks, I have only recently been able to focus my attention on writing here.

Which leads into the subjects of focus, attention, passion, and duty. My November and December 2006 were largely devoid of writing activities because of several other activities, including family activities and financial/occupational activities, all of which demanded significant chunks of time.

So, during this period of writing downtime, I experienced a lot of mental arguments with myself about the pros and cons of the activities I was doing and the ones I had to defer to a later date.

I've always been of the mindset that a starving artist, while a definitely romantic notion, is not a lifestyle I crave. Especially now, with a family to support, steady and sufficient financial income are greatly desired and necessary.

And while I always consider myself a writer, the semantics of "vocation" become fuzzy. As a profession, my royalty income makes my writing part-time; at least until the first million-dollar sale. But as a calling or an aptitude, my writing is of paramount importance to me.

Balance is the word that comes to mind now. Even with only 24 hours in a day, there should be time for the variety of activities that life offers, without obsessing or fixating on just a single set.

So, my New Year's resolution is to work on that balance - seek to fulfill the responsibilities and duties that my life situation demands, but also ensure the time to focus on those activities, including - and especially - writing, that are done simply for self-fulfillment, joy, or relaxation.

And I hope your resolutions, if you make and try to observe them, bring you success and satisfaction in this next set of 365 days of achievement.