Losing Dreamcatchers: 5 Steps to Keep Them Close

As much as we want to believe that writing is our imagination on paper, it boils down to the approval of others for publication and reading. Sure, if writing was what it once was --storytelling-- then panic attacks wouldn't be a problem, control would stay in our hands and only our hands, and maybe we wouldn't suffer like Alice. Alice, in Alice in Reality, lost control. She let the stress chip away until her addiction --escape method-- resurfaced. Drowning in her darkness.

But there's hope! Not everyone has to become a teenage girl with weed for fingers and booze for hands. While writing especially, it's key to have fun and enjoy or else there's no point in calling this an art. So, here is my cheat sheet. Five things to do when hell is freezing over.

1. Light Inscents

Editing can be one of the toughest things during a writing process especially when the edits are developmental. To this day, I refused to cut the micro-chapter in Alice simply because that scene has more meaning to me than I can explain. When swimming through a sea of red, inner peace is key; it's what helped me finish my edits so quickly. A sense we take for granted is scent. Scent can bring up memories and emotions all while being invisible. Eucalyptus is best for relaxation but is very potent. It smells rather sweet with an earthy undertone. Jasmine with a mix of grapefruit are a known stress reliever. Grapefruit adds a subtle spice while jasmine lingers sweetly --mimicking hand soap.

2. Beat up your problem 

As cliché as it sounds, exercise is very healthy. After laying in bed for a few days, the best way to lose some pounds and anger is a good workout. The aggression that builds from not having a published piece can be used as power when running. My stress is stored in my legs as they get jittery. To relieve that built energy, I go jogging. I imagine the agents as my cement and the pounding of my step as all the words I would say. If anything, working out promotes good sleep --deep sleep. If it doesn't get the anger out, at least you'll be able to go to bed without sleepless nights of "I can prove them wrong".

3. Take a yoga class

I mean this one. I found some of my life answers at yoga. Yoga is not only workout but also fuel for thought. Rejection after rejection is hard to take especially when you believe it's your writing that's failing you. No matter how many time you hear it, you just won't accept that it's out of your control. But, honestly, one of the only things one can control is breathing. In and out. Yoga teaches you how to master that; something so elementary but the key to everything. Phrases that remind us we are simply human being the best we can be define yoga past all the physical oddities. Maybe it's time for new thinking about maybe a few new hugging styles (like your thigh). Sansei BreathingMaster.

4. Get Creative

As authors... As dedicated professionals, we have a tendency to forget about our vitals. I feel safe to say that I'm not the only one who goes on binges of not eating not because I'm not hungry but because the plot is too good to pull away from. Alice was a master chef --at least she admits she was decent. To keep sane, cooking a meal and becoming an artist of a completely different realm can settle the stew of ideas and maybe even create new ones. Playing with the taste buds opens the world of flavors perfect for similes and real-life experiences characters can get all without you actually thinking about it. Dawdle with your inner foodie and become the Picasso of Mac 'n' Cheese.

5. Embrace the Shit

Understand that life isn't meant to be controlled. When I say "embrace the shit", I don't mean stick your toes in poop and pat them a little bit. I mean compose all the rejections in a letter and print it. Stare the the thing, feel it, sniff it. Acknowledge the fact that this is only the beginning and put the past behind. Put the papers in a long lost folder with the title "Open Once Published" or burn them to start fresh. If that's a little too much, simply walk barefoot at a park. Feel the grass in-between your toes and the unexpected moisture. Lay down it in to feel the unexpected softness. Blow at the clouds to understand this is all a natural process. It's not success that matters but satisfaction.

If I was to take everything to heart, I would have given up before I even started.