Writing And Preservation And Deadlines...Oh, My!

As today marks the beginning of a new month and there are no immediate deadlines looming, I want to make a concerted effort to blog while I can "justify" the luxury of writing for the sheer love of it. Please understand that I do enjoy writing for the business site very much. My editor is a gem - sharp, savvy and totally committed. I appreciate the autonomy she allows me. Best of all, I get to indulge my love of research. But I love blogging and I have missed the opportunity to express myself here this past month.

It was a case of growing pains, I think. Any time I would think about writing here, my conscience would nag, "But what about the article?" Let's face it, with my daycare business taking a dive with the economy, the writing gig came along at a very opportune time. I felt the need to produce and produce I did - as much as time and circumstances would allow. While I would love nothing more than writing full time, I am new to professional writing and far from being sustained financially by it. The professional writing process is getting easier for me the more I do it so I should be able to more easily juggle my different writing exercises as time goes on.

In addition to the Women in Business site, I have also been working for the Route 66 Association of Illinois web site. This is a group whose mission it is "To "Preserve, Educate, Promote and Enjoy Route 66 in Illinois." I am known as "Editor Gina" over there. I write up stories about various events the association sponsors and their preservation efforts. Lately I have been adding photos of the towns and attractions along Route 66 in Illinois. It is a time consuming task due to the enormous amount of information and the fascinating history of Route 66. The site is really turning out to be an awesome resource! I am learning a great deal about downstate Illinois but I'll never know as much as those who dedicate their efforts to preserving this nostalgic slice of Americana.

So just in case you've been wondering where the heck I've been, there's the whole sordid tale. It's actually empowering for me to know that I can write both professionally and voluntarily and enjoy each one for what it brings me. To go off on a somewhat philosophical tangent, maybe because the two are so diverse, they will compliment each other...sort of a yin-yang thing. Regardless, I do believe that it will get easier for me to find time for all my writing - it might just take a while to balance it out. So here's to finding balance.