Whew. Haven’t made a post here in nary a month, but I was rereading through some posts today and felt inspired. I’ve been busy, though that is the worst and most common and lowly sort of excuse I could give. Fact is, I’ve been prioritizing both being the best instructor, student, and writer I can be, and blogging came in low on the task-list hierarchy. But I love writing on here, and there is something cathartic about philosophizing and blasting raw writing out to the wind.

So much has happened in the last month of my life, so I’ll blow through it a little bit. Technically, this is Thoughtful Thursday, and I guess my topic is making the most of change through mindfulness and positivity.

If you’ve read a few of my posts, you may know that I’m attending Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo for my MFA in Fiction. I’ve been striving for this goal for years, so I have been savoring every moment of my time so far. I started teaching (essentially Freshman Comp, but schaboi does his best to make it fun and add some flair) and taking classes at the end of August. It has been a dream come true, and I’ve really been in a good mental space to fully take advantage of the opportunity and its enjoyments.

By my estimation, there isn’t much that is more important than learning for its own sake, and I’m the type of person who really enjoys Academia and its lifestyles. Sure, there are bureaucratic aspects of the institution, and nothing is perfect, but the appreciation for education and art and freedom of thought creates a magical atmosphere. Also, this being the first real year coming mostly out of the pandemic, there is a youthful vigor on campus that electrifies the air.

There are negatives externalities to starting school again too, like putting the podcast on hiatus. So many of the authors and other folks I look up to recommend focusing all your creative efforts in one area when you’re first starting out. I wanted to be the exception to that rule, as does everyone, and the podcast and my writing, both suffered. Then, I stopped having time for the show at all. Instead of feeling guilty, I decided to put the show on rest mode so I can focus on my writing for the next three years.

A funded MFA is an incredible opportunity, and I would be a fool not to get the most of it, to wring every possible word I can out of these next three years. To have this time and this shot at having a finished manuscript or two by the end of things is too great to be unfocused in my pursuits. I am passionate about our family D&D podcast, but more so about writing fiction and telling stories. Side note: if someone were to edit our episodes for me, this would be a different case, but as of right now we don’t have the money or clout for that sort of nonsense.

And teaching has been a delight. My students deal with my off-the-wall energy in stride, and most of them are trying their best to give a shit. That’s all I can really ask for, especially when they’ve got the important business of learning what it means to be an adult.

I’ll leave it at that because it was a satisfying line. Have a fabulous week, and remember to practice awareness of your own emotions, even the good ones. To sit in the pilot seat is to know the motions of the mind.

With raditude and attitude,

Kyle Battle