• Home
  • Books
    • Passion & Glory at the Opera – The Tenor Book
    • The FAB Book – photographers @technology’s crossroads
    • Inside the Music – a portfolio of jazz photography
    • The Art of Making Opera – a behind-the-scenes documentary
  • Words and Images
    • Writing – Hardwired for Story
    • Photography – Through the lens
    • Travel – Far & Familiar Horizons
    • Creativity – Inspiration & Discovery
  • ML Hart Recommends
    • Reading
    • Drama & Dance
    • Opera
    • Film & TV
    • Artists & Craft
    • Music
  • About
    • Reviews
    • ML Hart résumé
    • Articles and Interviews
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Twitter

ML Hart

a journal of observations, obsessions and inspirations

She’s back… with some whine

March 27, 2011 By Martha

Has it really been a whole year? Ay ay ay. Been working on the site, new design, mental commitment… hasn’t quite translated into sustained activity. I tell myself I’m getting there (does that count?) and console myself with awareness that this is connected to my real work, my writing. And try not to make myself miserable with thinking about how much the real world interferes with that work.

But it does. And what a rollercoaster year it’s been. Wild and crazy swings, with my two forays to México of 2+ weeks each acting as the catalyst for some profound self-examination about what’s really important in my life. Turns out, less and less in this country… changes on the horizon, though not just yet.

Meanwhile, the day job intrudes more and more – the last couple of months, the time behind the desk runs 9 to 12 hours a day. No brain left for writing when I get home; I can barely fulfill the caretaking responsibilities. With great reluctance, and equally great doses of practicality, I dropped my Spanish classes until the summer… ever day, I feel my hard-won knowledge backsliding. Such a grown-up decision! (What bollocks!)

I’m tired, tired of feeling negative, tired of hearing myself make excuses. Time to look forward… and move ahead.

How your Blurb book can deliver perfect happiness
Once again…

Comments

  1. ruthanne says

    April 27, 2011 at 12:46 am

    Welcome back!

    You’ve got the right attitude. Look forward, move ahead – and BELIEVE, know you can make it through!

  2. Peggy Strack says

    February 23, 2012 at 6:37 am

    It’s hard when reality prevents you from doing what you love. Try reading Excuses Be Gone by Wayne Dyer (in your spare time:0). I had a novel idea spinning in my head for over a year. I love to write creatively, but never ventured to far with it because of other obligations (e.g., family, work). After I read this book, I started my novel. It is now the hands of a professional editor, will be published some time this summer and I am 1/3 of the way through my second novel. My journey to this point warrents a blog of its own so I won’t go into it. In a nutshell, I wrote that novel as a single parent (of college aged boys) who worked two jobs, was in the midst of selling my house and planning my second wedding. Still, I made time to write 500 words at least five times a week. In the end, my goals and dream has been realized. All the best to you.

    • martha says

      February 23, 2012 at 7:35 pm

      Thanks Peggy – you’re an inspiration! There’s an old saying floating around that if you want to find a way to do something, you will; and if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. I’m struggling with the balancing act, but there’s a seismic shift going on this last month or so. I’ve got a collection of topics to blog about, a new website I’m working on, and both of them leading to the on-again/off-again book. We’ll get there. Congrats on your writing achievements!

  3. Josh Hanagarne says

    March 27, 2012 at 2:34 pm

    Welcome back, Ali!

    Whining has its place, it just can’t be what you spend most of your time doing or you’ll never make any progress. Sounds like you’re taking the right steps for you.

ABOUT MARTHA

ML Hart headshotI tell stories with keyboard and camera. Words and images. Pull up a chair.

FIND TOPICS

TWITTERFEED

ML HartFollow14,6631,320

ML Hart
MsMartha_writer avatarML Hart@MsMartha_writer·
57m

The Difficulty in Writing About Murder - amazing piece, luminous writing. I immediately ordered the book.

The Difficulty in Writing About Murder

Cutter Wood doesn’t like mysteries, true crime or even semi-violent films. And yet he began investigating a woman’s disappearance, and wro...

www.theparisreview.org

Reply on TwitterRetweet on TwitterLike on TwitterTwitter
MsMartha_writer avatarML Hart@MsMartha_writer·
2h

Oh, well done! Add 4 singers who study with former students of Margaret Harshaw - thanks for that info, tenor and teacher, Michael Sylvester (a Harshaw student, a Met finalist himself and fabulous interviewee for #TheTenorBook) #OperaLegacy

Oh, well done! Add 4 singers who study with former students of Margaret Harshaw - thanks for that info, tenor and teacher, Michael Sylvester (a Harshaw student, a Met finalist himself and fabulous interviewee for #TheTenorBook) #OperaLegacy
Merola Opera Program@merolaopera

We've got three Merolini headed to the @MONCAuditions Finals. Congratulations to @AshleyErinMezzo (Merola 2015/2017), @MadDogLeonard (Merola 2015), and Megan Grey (Merola 2018)!

Reply on TwitterRetweet on TwitterLike on TwitterTwitter
MsMartha_writer avatarML Hart@MsMartha_writer·
3h

Great story, terrific comments. Yes, for once, read the comments! Will restore your faith in humanity - mine's been sorely tested this morning, reading the 'news' ... thanks to you and your daughter for this.

Dan Snow@thehistoryguy

My daughter had a 'medieval feast' at school yesterday. Mostly, the boys went as knights, the girls as princesses.
She went as the Viking fleet commander, 'The Red Girl' briefly referred to in the 12th C 'The War of the Irish with the Foreigners.'

Reply on TwitterRetweet on TwitterLike on TwitterTwitter
MsMartha_writer avatarML Hart@MsMartha_writer·
14h

Delightful back and forth thread, talking about meeting the late and very great Robert Hughes. I should write up the tales of my brief exchanges at book signings.

Peter Gaugy@upcomingoperas

@MsMartha_writer I was lucky to get charming and engaging. He was a writer that knew how to keenly observe and reflect, that art was as sensual as it was intellectual and that it could be both sacred and utterly absurd.

Reply on TwitterRetweet on TwitterLike on Twitter1Twitter

EXPLORE

35mm film airport architecture Argentina Atlántida cameras creative DeVere film Images inspiration interviews language library literature mediterranean Montevideo photoshop process self-publishing tenors Uruguay

Anything in here will be replaced on browsers that support the canvas element

  • Uruguay
  • Montevideo
  • Atlántida
  • cameras
  • process
  • language
  • self-publishing
  • Images
  • photoshop
  • tenors
  • airport
  • library
  • Argentina
  • architecture
  • interviews
  • inspiration
  • creative
  • film
  • literature
  • DeVere
  • 35mm film
  • mediterranean
  • TheTenorBook
  • plagiarism
  • The Art of Making Opera
  • Chile
  • tours
  • asia
  • australia
  • food

ML HART

Writer. Documentary photographer. Artist. I'm inspired by both shadow and light and curious about most everything. Welcome to my journal of musings.
More about ML Hart

EXPLORE TOPICS

CONNECT

Follow on Twitter
Like on Facebook
RSS
Follow by Email
Connect on LinkedIn

COPYRIGHT

© 1995 – 2018 ML Hart.
Original posts/stories/reviews, excerpts from books, extracts from interviews for The Tenor Book, unless otherwise attributed; all photography and artwork, except as noted.

All rights reserved. Please contact me for permission to use.

Puzzled about posting online from a site not your own? Confused about copyright and why it’s important to a writer and artist? Take a look at my Copyright Reference page.

Copyright © 2018 ML Hart | All rights reserved


Logo by RFG3 | Site assistance by CalliaWeb.co.uk | Powered by Imagely