Parisian Phoenix Publishing

As a traditional publisher, writer myself, freelance editor and journalist, I don’t escape words often. They provide my livelihood, and more than that, I genuinely revel in them.

I typically have a window open on my browser where I draft and build my newsletters— like this one— but this edition has developed slower than most.

And that’s okay.

Creative endeavors often come with periods of ebb and flow. And life comes with distractions and commitments. March required some travel for me (Massachusetts), a conference (Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group The Write Stuff), one of my writing workshops, and several books going to print. It was a very administrative-style month, for lack of a better description, where I focused on the business and not the creativity.

And whether you are a reader or a writer, your life may often pull you in different directions where you just don’t have time to read that new book you bought or you just don’t have the energy to start a new project.

Nothing stays the same and as we embark on the warmth and color of spring, we too will experience a shift.

Recently, I had the opportunity to apply for a grant specifically for small businesses in the arts. In my last non-profit communications position, I was promoted to development manager— where I learned the ins and outs of grant writing in crash-course fashion. This one provides money to support entrepreneurship in creative areas.

I loved brainstorming and refining the many ideas I had that fit the grant’s parameters and budget. A grant application, like the application to earn the status of recognized publisher from the International Thriller Writers Association, forces me to strategize in ways that I can’t when I am in “reactive mode,” dealing with the day-to-day minutiae of a small business. It demands that I honestly evaluate what I am doing and why I am doing it.

So, regardless of the outcome, it’s time well-spent.