January 1, 2021: Janus
Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology.
One of our rituals for the New Year is one minute before midnight, we open the back door to let out the old year’s energy. One minute after midnight, we open the front door to let in the new year’s energy.
This year, we need new energy. Most importantly, we need hope.
Now, to answer our questions.
Look back on 2020. Do not consider anything left undone a failure. You survived. That’s the baseline for 2020.
It’s very difficult to look back on 2020 and not feel like a failure. I was so sick for so much of it – three surgeries and two cancer scares. I had to push back book deadlines. But, when I look at the year, it wasn’t a total loss. I was able to accomplish a few things, albeit in a smaller scale:
–Survived 3 surgeries and 2 cancer scares
–Maintained my daily yoga practice
–Maintained my twice-daily meditation practice
–Had an article published in THE WRITER magazine, a publication I’ve wanted to crack for years
–Had an article published in SCRIPTMAG, another publication I wanted to get into
–My radio play “Intrigue on the Aurora Nightingale” was produced/performed before everything was shut down by the pandemic
–“By Her Pointed Quill”, the one-act play inspired by the life of Susanna Centlivre was researched, written, and submitted to the 365 Women Project.
–“Family Layers”, the one-act play inspired by the life of Isabella Goodwin, was researched, written, and submitted to the 365 Women Project.
–JUST A DROP, the full-length play about Giulia Tofana’s circle of herbalists, was revised.
–SERENE AND DETERMINED, the full-length play about Lavinia Fontana, was revised.
–Wrote “A Woman for the Job”, another one-act play based on Kate Warne’s career
–“Holiday Transitions” flash fiction written, accepted, and published by Weird Christmas Anthology
–“Help, No Questions Asked” short story written, accepted, and a finalist in the Body Be Gone contest
Article on settings published on the Cape Cod Writers Center site
Judged two categories in a contest
Regular book reviewing gig
Client work
Blogging, including reviving the food blog, Comfort and Contradiction
2021 Almanac piece published
Contracted and wrote a piece for a 2022 Almanac
Put together the “Trinity of Teasers” promotional giveaway
Re-released the short “Just Jump in and Fly”
Re-released the short “The Ghost of Lockesley Hall”
In process:
–started writing “A Rare Medium”, a one-act play based on another one of Kate Warne’s cases
–started revisions on the screenplay VISCERAL INVISIBLES
–working on revisions and re-releases in the Topic Workbooks
–deadlines pushed back on books
–tried some new directions in fiction
So, it wasn’t a completely lost year.
Grieve as needed. There were many losses on many fronts. Visit Grief To Art for a site dedicated to collective mourning, and a list of resources.
Lots of grief, lots of loss. In additional to personal losses, the realization that the people who are paid and take an oath to protect us and this country don’t give a damn and will let us die was difficult to navigate.
I was also sorry to give up my dream/hope of getting a piano and starting lessons. It would have been a wonderful distraction during the pandemic, but there just isn’t any room in this house.
Communicate your experience of the year, through words, music, visuals, dance. Purge as much of it as you can.
The effects of this year will ripple forth in my work for the rest of my life.
Survival as the key component of 2021. That is your main task.
Pick one thing you want/need to achieve in 2021. It can be small. It can be simple. But instead of breaking the year down into goals, dreams, and resolutions, pick one thing and craft a plan to achieve it.
The one thing that must happen this year is moving. My lease is up and it can’t be renewed, as of the end of April. Putting together the move is my priority. Then, it will be about recovering from it and building a new life in a new place.
Daydream. You can rebuild and heal by dreaming about the future you want. Start setting the foundation for more in 2022.
Allowing myself the space to dream again will be the biggest gift I can give myself. I have not fully comprehended how much long-lasting trauma this past year has caused.
Goals, Dreams, and Resolutions 
Leave a Reply