I started writing a number of haiku, and they all boiled down to:

the world is chaos
find something to delight you
and let the rest go

In the middle of the rampant sturm und drang, I’m finding it’s imperative to find those little pockets of joy and light. To do something (even if just reading a recently released urban fantasy romp) because then at least I am making a choice and taking action. Not sitting in front of the TV or laptop and being inundated with more terrible news, the latest expansion of the current crisis, and emotional turmoil that has me thinking about The End of Days.

The image in my head (oddly to most people) is of Bridget Jones after she discovers her boyfriend is shagging another woman. It’s the point when she decides to be her own woman, and to not keep trying to find the perfect man:

At times like this, continuing with one’s life seems impossible… and eating the entire contents of one’s fridge seems inevitable. I have two choices: to give up and accept permanent state of spinsterhood and eventual eating by alsatians, or not. And this time I choose not. I will not be defeated by a bad man and an American stick insect! Instead, I choose vodka. And Chaka Khan.

Not that I’m choosing vodka. Although I do choose Chaka Khan. And Rush. A whole heck of a lot of Rush. And Chloe Neill and Cheryl Strayed and Richard K. Morgan. And making loaves of rye bread. And trying to teach myself to crochet (which is not going as well as one would hope).

And writing. Lots of writing.

Because the other thought in my head is a quote from Neil Gaiman:

When things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician — make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor — make good art. IRS on your trail — make good art. Cat exploded — make good art. Someone on the Internet thinks what you’re doing is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before — make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, eventually time will take the sting away, and that doesn’t even matter. Do what only you can do best: Make good art. Make it on the bad days, make it on the good days, too.

(The Zen Pencils cartoon of Gaiman’s quote is awesome, by the way.)

So with that, I say to you: in this time of utter chaos and uncertainty, make good art.

And choose vodka. Or whatever delights you. Because life is too damn short.