We are expecting up to twelve inches of snow tonight and through the morning.  It's been dark since 4:30p and the snow just arrived blowing in sideways off the mountain.

It's been an interesting few days.  The writing has been going well.  I've hit a stride in my revisions and it feels good to see the progress.  I just wish it would have happened a bit sooner.  I can't say I didn't expect this delay or at least expected that I would discover along the way how I operated at a residency.  Residents who have been here a month say a similar thing.  It took time to get into a groove and then they were off.  Good to know.  Will prepare for this next time.  I thought two weeks would be plenty of time to get shit done, but there seems to be a mandatory adjustment period, no?  We're in new places and want to see new things, on a different meal schedule and in another time zone.  With 4:30p sunsets and stuffy noses, my residency has a half-life.  I'm looking forward to what the next week brings, how much work I can get done.  One thing is confirmed: I am a slow writer.  Even when I'm moving, I'm moving slow.  Just part of my formula, I guess.  A little odd because I typically move at light speed, multitasking and juggling like a mofo.  Makes me think about how little writing I actually get done when normal life is in the way.  Crazy.  Gotta work on that.  

I think my freak out earlier this week coincided with my trying to write through a difficult part in the chapter.  That part is still unfinished, but I've pushed through to the other side and am having fun with the next section.  Sometimes the words flow.  Sometimes they don't.  There isn't much to be done except keep going.  It's got me wondering how other writers work through the hard parts.  Further investigation to come.
 
Took my own advice and signed up to read on Tuesday night.  Will keep you posted.

Her mama takes such good care of her.  Miss my girls. 

One week changes the landscape drastically.

Today was the writer's craft talk led by Iowa Writer's Workshop director, Lan Samantha Chang.  In the cozy Mason House Library she spoke about how good fiction captures the vastness of human experience and sets rules for itself only to break them.  She reminded us to always consider emotional scope, reviewed Keats' theory on "negative capability," and ended with a discussion of Alice Munro's, The Beggar Maid.   I got an excellent reading list and, as always, relished being in the classroom again.

Afterwards, Esmerelda and I layered up, braved the snow, and walked up the hill to Johnson State College.  The walk up was gorgeous (and freezing) and at the top was the quaintest little campus anyone ever saw.  I'm sure the fact that it was dusted in snow added to its appeal.  Of course, being the nerds we are, we headed straight for the library.  If you're ever traveling and writing or find yourself at a residency in a new town, I highly suggest checking out any local libraries or college campuses.  As artists in residence we're able to check out books and use their facilities--another residency perk.  I roamed the stacks and took notes.  And yet another residency perk: the extra bandwidth and solitude allows the imagination and creative energy to bulk up.  It's amazing what creeps in when you give it space to breathe.  We plan to make our way back to campus to get some work done tomorrow.

Johnson Elementary School just below JSC.  I mean, how cute is that?

Getting ready to nerd out at the library.

I think all the residents are getting a little studio fever.  When we came off the mountain we skipped lunch and headed to a cafe with free wifi for a change of scenery.  There were several other artists in residence hiding out in the corners of the cafe.  It was nice to get away from the routine for a bit.  I'm sure we'll be back.

The writing is going better today.  Thank you for all the positive vibes.  I think they are working.  At least for today.

I am at the half-way mark.  I still have whiskey.

Every day the river is freezing over more and more.  The weather and the locals are telling us to prepare for dropping temperatures and snow through the weekend.

Yesterday a few of us walked the main drag of Johnson and were tourists.  It snowed during the entire walk and I was grateful for all the snow gear my friends let me borrow for the trip.  There are a few bars and restaurants, a gas station and a grocery store.  We visited Johnson Woolen Mills, which has been around since 1842.  Inside is a plethora of legit hunters gear made from wool shorn off local sheep--red and black flannel jackets, shirts, and vests, camo, traffic-cone orange beanies and hats the hunters wear in the forest to avoid getting their heads blown off, the most beautiful handmade wool blankets.

Then we went to the Maple Sugaring Equipment and Supply store that not only sells all grades of locally farmed maple syrup in all its forms (dehydrated maple sugar, maple syrup lollipops, spreads and jellies), but all the equipment and tools necessary to farm such maple.  Only those who are official members of the maple sugar farming association are allowed to purchase the farming equipment.  What a trip.

Of course we went into Ebenezer's Book Store and a few familiar names jumped off the shelves.  The local arts supply store is owned by a woman who works for VSC and has lived in Johnson for over thirty years.  I learned this when I inadvertently sat and had dinner with her my first night here.

Finally, we headed to the Barbara White Studio's where my Latina painter friend from Los Angeles has her studio.  She's waiting for her canvases to be delivered today, but was kind enough to show us around.  We met another woman there who had her studio door open and welcomed us in to snoop around.  I love the lived in look of her studio and desk.

I felt a bit guilty for taking time out of my day to walk around and see the few sights of Johnson, got right back to writing after our walk until it was time for dinner.  I worked until 11p before taking myself back to Kowalsky House for the night.  Last night I finally Facetime'd with wifey.  I miss her and Girly Grace.  She asked how I was feeling and I said good, motivated, but starting to worry a bit about my endurance.  Can I keep this pace up for the entire two weeks?  This feels like the longest study session of my life.  I remind myself this is a marathon, not a sprint and breathe. 

New snow on the ground and the Maverick Writing Studios in the background.  I am in the third window from the left on the second floor.

This morning a woke to new snow on the ground.  I am sleeping well.  I missed breakfast and didn't wake until 11a.  Today was my first scheduled day for work detail in the kitchen.  I still had pillow marks on my face when I walked to the Red Mill for lunch, snow falling like confectioners sugar out of the cloudy gray sky.  

There is something fantastic about being able to roll out of bed, throw on a jacket, gloves, hat, snow shoes and just go.  I've warned the few friends I've made that I will be in my pajamas for the entire two weeks.  Don't mind me.  The freedom to not have to prepare for the world, for life, is definitely a highlight to a residency.  No driving, no work, no errands, no make-up, no cooking, and my worldly to do's are shoved in the back of my over-sized suitcase not to be dealt with until I return.  I wake up thinking about my writing.  I fall asleep thinking about my writing.  During the day, if I am not writing, I am speaking to someone about writing, about art.  It is all a beautifully odd luxury.

Throughout the day there are footsteps in the hall outside my studio and my instincts prepare me for someone to knock on my door.  When there is no knock I remember and relax.  It reminds me of healing from a bad breakup, a bit of post-traumatic stress disorder due to a lifetime of 40-hour+ work weeks and neglecting your art.  You don't know the severity of your disorder until you've peeled yourself away from the cause.

Yesterday I wrote, read, and researched from 11a until 10:30p.  Yes, nearly twelve hours.  It's hard to describe what this feels like, except to say that I was still full of energy even after my new painter friend and I cracked open my bottle of Bulleit whiskey in the Red Mill lounge after working all day.  We drank and spoke about our jobs and family and, of course, our projects.  It was almost midnight when I got back to my room at Kowalsky House.  I took a shower and was still wide awake so decided to write more.  Why not?  Not having a set schedule is another beautiful aspect about a residency.  Now is not the time to fight my creative energies and so I go with my flow, giving in to whatever I want to do no matter what the hour.  I wrote until 3am.