A month or two ago, Shiloh and I went to visit some friends -- a mom and her young children. She was telling me about her (and her husband's) struggle to decide whether to have more children. They are both artistic people and want to have time for those pursuits. They are also excellent parents who really pour into their children's lives. It is difficult to choose a smaller family when so many people in our circle choose to have bigger ones. It can feel like there's a subtle pressure to have more and more children, although I don't think there's a person who would say, "You should have more children."
I said I thought she should look at her art as a child to be nurtured. The more real children you have, the less time you have for each one. If you want to make room in your life for art, time is required. Children require a huge investment of time...but don't our talents and gifts too? Isn't it actually wise of this woman to keep her family small so she can have time for both her children and for her art? It seems wise to me.
For the longest time, I thought I needed the perfect conditions to write every day. I now realize that what I need is determination. There are no perfect conditions; if I wait for them, I will never write a novel..or much of anything else. The good news about this is that I am a determined and disciplined person. So...game on.
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