First, Locate Your Mountain

The title of this blog come from Neil Gaiman's commencement speech at the University of the Arts in 2012. It's at the bottom of the page and I highly recommend it. I came across the speech on www.gateway-women.com and it's been on the back of my mind for a while.

It's a simple concept and hopefully on that works. My life so far has taken me far from the mountain, or I have taken myself far from the mountain. Maybe so far I'll never reach it in this lifetime.

I have to start the journey though, as it's the only one worth taking. I'm seeing the world now like one of those maps at the start of fantasy fiction novels. There's the Mountain, and where I am now, and beyond that the Swamps of Despair and the Saline Sea of Infertility and the Forest of Confusion. Beyond them again, around the perimeter of my imaginary world, lies the Desert of Oblivion. It's a small world; life is short and I don't like travel.

Before I can take any steps I have to define my mountain. What is it like, beyond high and imposing? I came up with three things this morning to define my mountain; motherhood, publication and a full-time contract in my current job. I just threw the last one in because it feels more attainable than the others. Up to now these have been three separate locations on my cognitive map but I have put them all together because it's my map in my head and I can do that.

So my mountain is personal to me. Your mountain may be different. No, it'll definitely be different. So far today I've taken these steps towards my mountain:
-decided to taken Gaiman's advice.
-decided I want to happy along the way and that this will form part of the journey to the mountain.
-started the blog.

This is a test post. The work begins tomorrow.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI