Here we go again. I watch the fan stir the curtains hanging behind it. It seems I have sleepwalked to the controller and turned off the aircon at three in the morning. From the windows, the morning sunlight tries to cut through the thick yellow fabric but barely could, leaving my room dim enough for... Continue Reading →
It's been a while since I last "embarked on some creative pas de deux" (borrowed that phrase from Julia Cameron). I feel excited to be here, finding words and thoughts that are my own. I've been working on a biography, hoping to finish it sooner so I could start writing the other one in queue.... Continue Reading →
Last month, we went to London and Ireland to witness my eldest sister's marriage into an Irish family. Honestly, Papa and I, as well as my older sister's family, wanted to be there but, at one point, decided not to go due to lack of funds. Pounds and Euro’s values are way higher than Peso... Continue Reading →
My stomach lurches at the thought of Melbourne. Last August, I spent 20 fantastic days in Australia. Before I went there, I thought I’d never recover from chronic burnout, but of course, I was wrong. Jason Silva was right: “Beauty can heal.” My sister and brother-in-law did a good job touring me and Papa around... Continue Reading →
It's been satisfying to stare into space. The slow tree leaves swaying with the slow wind outside my window tell me I've burned myself out this year again. I have become more efficient this year, though, and my 'work threshold' has increased ridiculously, but apparently, I haven't improved in the aspect of 'rest' yet. I... Continue Reading →
We all know it by head: 'success' creates an illusion. From a spectator's point of view, successful people seem to be different from the rest of us. Perhaps, they are genius, rich, or just very, very lucky, and we, who see everyday survival as a struggle in itself, think life is unfair. We think we... Continue Reading →
It must be the Christmas air, the ever-mutating virus, the hubbub about next year's election, the quotidian monotony, and all else personal that are making you feel burdened and demotivated to work today. But the good news is, you're not alone. Recently, I asked my writing community, Scribblory Writers Group, the used-to-be casual "how are... Continue Reading →
"Pa, what makes the sky blue?" I was looking up at it from the car window while we whizzed past the things underneath it. "Depth, like the ocean. Infinity," was Papa's answer. When Papa was a young farmhand, he would gaze with awe at the heavens while lying on the flat of a huge boulder... Continue Reading →
It's easy to define freedom when you're confined to the same four walls for more than a month. You think of freedom, and you think of opening the cage's door and soaring in the sky. You think of freedom, and you think of not being hindered to do what you want. Being free is easily... Continue Reading →
Writing, per se, is scary. Writing to be read is horrifying. Imagine that risk you put yourself in when you expose your choice of words, your thoughts, and a precious piece of yourself to - who knows how many - people. You throw a sentence or two onto their table and give them the permission... Continue Reading →
Elaine Marie Factor 