Out of Struggles Comes Brilliance (ish)

While out of the house today, I’m excited to say I had a CREATIVE IDEA. You know those, right? The things that people like me need to survive, that elusive mysterious thing I haven’t had in a year or more?

Because every now and then, a doozy of one pops up and either ends up in one of my novels (I’ve had 5 novel ideas in over 20 years), OR is the kind of idea that would make one of those super savvy people a ton of money (who then later scam you by selling their “secret” to making so much money, while really, it was just that they had the courage, fortitude, time, and serious good fortune to work a brilliant idea into a reality).

But knowing me, it’ll probably never get done. I think I should just get a notebook and put all the good ideas in there, let my life run its course, and someone can use them when I’ve passed away 🙂

I never know what to do when these ideas show up. I actually have a novel idea that is BOTH of those things, but no clue how to bring it together – I really don’t know how to write a novel, and no, the whole, “Just do it” crap doesn’t work for me…I have about 30,000 words to prove it for that novel, and far more for my other novel.

Which made me think:

If I’m so much loving what I’m doing, if I’m so in tune and happy, and following my faith, why do I feel so, so…UNFULFILLED? Like really, something is broken and I can’t understand what it is.

That’s when I got back to thinking on my kids. I always say I want this or that for them, but what if what I REALLY want for them is just a life they can feel satisfied and fulfilled pursuing? And while the “summer homework” I requested is now gathering dust since I can’t face all the pushing, cajoling, and threatening it takes to get it done, maybe the answer that I’m looking for the kids is not just airy words of “helping them find their way!” but a real, concrete, unschooling idea of “let’s DO THIS and do it differently and see if they learn anything.”

Which led to my Brilliant Idea (and yes, I have graduated it to CAPS, thank you very much). I don’t know what to do with it, how to go about it…I always get here and get stuck. I’m committed to something in September, and I can’t see much getting done until then anyway, but I really wanted this idea to fly in the summer.

What do you do with brilliant ideas when you don’t have the time or resources to pursue them? What about your kids? Are you content with helping them live a life of pursuing what makes them content, or do you require College/Military/Traditional WorkForce? To be honest, because I think that’s what I had in mind for The Girls…how come it’s taken me SO LONG to figure out that won’t fit…and that’s ok?

Especially since it never did fit me…nor some other famous characters…