April fools' day. Has it been three months already? Time flies when you’re pinching life. And as I promised myself, I would look back on each quarter that has come to pass.

I’m sitting at the corner of the dining table. The same spot where I have been writing my morning pages since January 1st. And even though I still have a few days to go, it think it’s fair to say that I did quite all right on the “The Artist’s Way” creative challenge. Of course, it’s rather easy to say that when there’s no one else to prove you wrong. Still, in all fairness…

To name just one thing, Julia Cameron’s book has given me the opportunity to experience the value of those quiet, early hours of the day. When the whole world (or the kids at least) seems switched off, it would seem that your senses and thoughts can tap into the energy that would otherwise be scattered throughout all the things we “need” to be doing, living our everyday lives.

I’ve decided to keep getting out of bed an hour early. But not just to write Julia’s morning pages, rather to work on what my heart feels like working on. I’ve decided to give writing that book a try. That book, as in, putting together the pieces of the puzzle that have piled up the Moleskines I have filled with loose ideas, random thoughts, beginnings, endings, in betweens… I am giving myself 14 weeks to come up with something half decent. A written result of some sort, I can take on our summer vacation and have loads of sun and rest help it mature.
By the way, 14 weeks means 98 hours. 98 whole hours I get to spend on something I have been telling myself for ages I should get round to one day. Well, that day has finally come.

This is also partly why the question quest hasn’t been on Twitter as of late. I’ve been asking questions that would have no relevance for anyone living outside my head. So I kept them to the safe sanctity of my Moleskines.

Somewhere along the way, during those first three months, the question quest has transformed from a fun thing to for no other purpose than to fool around with what, why and how, into a more meaningful way to focus my attention and to try to fill the well, so to speak. Else said: At night, right before I go to sleep, I decide on the question I would like to see answered by the next few pages of the book I will be writing the morning after. And once I have the question, I ponder on it, while going to sleep. Putting my trust in that what the night will bring.
You see, in a very real way, I’m working at night. My sleep is no longer aimed at  escaping daily drudgeries, or to gather enough energy to make it through the next day of hard work. At night, I’m working on my dreams, both literally and figuratively speaking, so that I can harvest all nightly thoughts and ideas first thing in the morning, when everyone else is still vast asleep.  
This also means I will have to recalibrate my Tweets, although that’s not on my priority list right now.

And those would just be a handful of minor changes that have emerged the past three months. To name a rather startling one, I just checked the numbers I had jotted down concerning the physical part of the Pinching the Ostrich challenge. In the last 90 days I have lost 5kg/11lb, but what’s even more is that my bodyfat% has gone down from 20,75% to 12,75%, which means that I have gained 2,85kg/6,3lb lean body mass and have ditched 11,9kg/24lb of bodyfat. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I checked the numbers. I checked them three times. I’m flabbergasted and far more important, I feel great!

And that’s just the measurable part of the story. But there seems to be so much more changing: the assignments I’m getting, the people I’m fortunate to work with, the conversations I’m having, the things I’m learning about creativity, about myself, about everything really. Something is definitely, profoundly changing, although it’s to early to be able to put my finger on it. That’s OK. Is has only been 1 quarter, and I still have 19 to go. Oh dear.

All I know for now is that I’m grateful for the choice I was somehow able to make and the events that have unfolded as a result. 

On to the second quarter.

Take care,
Karl

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