I'm going back to my HaHas for HooHas roots.
Today's Sunyay! Digest: Nourishing our minds, my latest Walk with Me! podcast, and what I do when I feel stuck.
My friends!
It’s been a week. My agent and I are cooking up incredible ideas for my next book and as I wallow in this uncertain liminal space, I thought “As if I don’t have enough to do, I’ll start making my own pop art!”
Why? Who knows, but it’s like getting therapy while sitting in a hot tub— but for my mind. And now that I’ve typed that out, it sounds a little weird and gross. ANYWAY, I started with Golden Girls, and now I’m on to Paula Abdul, Cher, Madonna, Janet Jackson … I CAN’T STOP.
So here’s how I’m nourishing my mind:
I can’t wait to show you my art because it’s way more rad than I thought it’d be. Do some of you OG’s remember my old HaHas for HooHas eCards? While that was sloppy art because I’d bust them out way too fast, I’m back to drawing again. Normally, I used baking and food as my way to be creative and keep my mind busy when it’s tempted to worry and ruminate. And while I did make some banana muffins this week (this is a great, easy recipe I hit up most often), I needed something else to light me up that didn’t also make my fingers bloat up into sausages.
I read a New York Times opinion piece that argued burnout and overwhelm aren’t from having too much to do, but not having enough of what we enjoy— to do. We might be slammed with work and our family responsibilities and feel like we can’t add one more thing, but making time for weekly tennis lessons, for instance, doesn’t deplete us more, it actually makes us feel more alive and energized for our responsibilities.
So what does that mean for you and me? Some things might need to be deleted, but what are we adding? Art? Crafts? Journaling? Gardening? Lunch with friends? Whatever it is, I hope you’ll do more of it. And if you don’t have time, all the more reason to make time.
Here’s how I’m nourishing my body:
Walk with Me!
I walk the girls to school and then walk straight to the gym when weather allows. I make 10K steps my target each day.
SO ARE YOU WALKING WITH ME OR WUT.
I’ve got our entertainment and tunes up and ready for us. Crank it up!
Here’s our Episode Two in the I’m Not Ready for This walk with me series, “Ain’t nobody got time to biff it in public!”
And every week, I also have a Spotify soundtrack for us while we walk, workout, strength train, or do the dishes. It’s our world, we can do what we want! I like to mix old school with new school. Just roll with it.
Here’s this week’s Spotify playlist to keep us jazzed all week.
Here’s what else I’m doing: I strength train 4x a week, following a training program my bad ass niece made for me. I focus on arms, legs, back and shoulders. I do HIIT 4 days a week (sprint 30 seconds, walk 30 seconds for 15 minutes) and two days a week I walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes, 13 incline at 2.8-3.2 speed and I do my very best not to hold on to the treadmill.
Some of you have asked if I take supplements. I do, and I’m obsessed with them. Kaged is my favorite brand due to quality of ingredients and how it makes me feel when I workout. I reached out to them and asked if I could give my fans a coupon code and they said yes! Use code ALT15 at checkout for 15% off. :D
I use Pre-Kaged Sport, Re-Kaged (protein after my workout), Clean Burn and Hydra-Charge for days I sweat a lot. Go see if anything suits your fancy.
Here’s how I’m nourishing my spirit:
This past Wednesday I talked about the trauma of uncertainty and waiting.
But, I’m learning, this liminal space is the truest, purest place to learn and grow. Some might argue, being forced to wait is the only way we can learn, grow and step up into new seasons of our life. Instead of worrying or escaping from this experience like the cat in Pepe Le Pew’s clutches, what if we embraced this season of waiting and see what it has to teach us? Read the entire essay here.
Question of the week: I’m stuck. Why?
A couple weeks ago, I received a lovely text from a woman who found my books. I leave a number at the end, and she reached out to me to let me know how much she loved them. She is a budding writer, but had a hard time getting started. I asked her what kind of writing she liked to do and she opened up in her response:
Question:
Sounds crazy but my mom passed away seven years ago unexpectedly and between that, work issues and Covid I feel like I've been at a stall. I was researching funny Christian writers and came across your books and I just love them! I really love all the stories about you and your mom, I can relate my mom was my biggest fan! Trying to wrap my mind around why that is when I feel it's what I'm called to do. Right before the lockdown my husband rented me a very nice office so I could have quiet time and I struggle to get there. Yet I won't give up the office because I fear it's giving up on my dream. The struggle is real!
My Answer:
Doesn’t sound crazy - sounds about right to me. You’ve been grieving.
I have seasons of no inspiration (many times wanting to quit!) but what helps me is writing for God and God alone. Like my daily gift to him like a little girl drawing a picture for her father. No pressure, just joy.
I was just working on my new writing schedule as girls get back to school. It’s a discipline - let me tell you. Most days I’d rather scrub the base of my toilets!
Don’t give up that office space. You lost your biggest fan - I bet she was who you wrote to. Have you ever tried doing Morning Pages? Julia Cameron - The Artist’s Way. Google and check it out. The morning pages are essentially waking up each morning and writing, freehand, in a notebook 3 full pages of whatever is in your brain. Even if it’s just “I hate this” over and over - anything goes. And then something almost miraculous happens - by page two I start getting all these ideas and they almost always turn into some piece of writing. What if you made time this week to do some morning pages in your office? Nice cup of coffee … that’s not so scary.
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We went on to have a heartfelt close to our conversation that I’ll keep private, but just know that feeling “stuck” doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It likely means something is unresolved and needs your attention.
Get to the heart of that, pay attention to it, work on healing it— and then practice— little by little, baby steps.
I believe you’ll find the thing making you feel stuck is the very thing that will set your creativity free.
Have a question for me too? Ask away in the comments.
ICYMI:
Hilarious Virals
I had a night terror and then Rob pissed me right off. Read it here.
Last Week’s Essay
Feel like you’re in a perpetual waiting room of life? Me too. Here’s what we can do about it. Read here.
Have questions for Anna?
If you have questions about pursuing a dream, a fit bod or God, ask away in the comments and as always, I’ll do everything I can to help. If it’s a real good question you may be spotlighted in a future digest.
DISCLAIMER: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING
PS: If you’d like more info on this endeavor, offerings and my heart behind it, check out the updated about page.
And, of course, the best way to support me is to not only buy my books, but to get a copy for your friends and family to help support my mission to spread laughter.
Have we met? I’m Anna Lind Thomas, a humor writer out of Omaha, Nebraska. I’m listed as one of USA Today’s top ten funniest women writers, and author of the best selling book We’ll Laugh About This (Someday) and my latest - I’m Not Ready for This. Once you read them, text me (number’s in the back and I respond!). Don’t forget to say hi on Facebook and Instagram.