Happy holidays

A warm hello to all my old blog friends and new readers,

It has been a while and surely much has happened in you lives and mine. Another Christmas awaits at the doorstep, towing New Year's Eve behind and this year working on my novel has become a much loved and regular task for me. Regardless, it is not smooth sailing, there are stretches of silence, literally and moments of despair, but luckily there are these incredible rare moments,when I feel nothing can stop me, when everything seems to fall into place.

View from my writing room

Writing is a quiet business, nothing is ever really visible to the outside world unless something gets published, which hasn't happened yet. Sometimes I wish I could open the small room, where I most of the time sit down to think and research, to read and look at other writer's work and write a little more and I could share it with you all. Personally I love to read about other artist's doings, the mechanics of creating, if you will. And then I thought why not at least try? Perhaps it has been done before, maybe there is nothing new to say, but it feels to me at least that inviting you in makes it more real. Does this make sense? So in 2016 I will write more here about my writer's life and the things which move me and the things I move.

The manuscript...

It's a lonely job and I feel oftentimes I bury myself in this invisible world and forget to see what's out there. Do not get me wrong, there is the family, friends, my interior design work sprinkled in, but I do miss something. Still there are hours and hours where I just sit and write. And so I have added something new. Something which will take me outside, towards women, connects me again to a base where I feel I can belong. Thanks to my dear friend Patricia of PVE, who has asked me to join, I have decided to become Style Ambassador to India Hicks. Yes, perhaps like Tupperware or Avon, but different too since its still small, but rapidly growing and very elegant and beautiful. I met the incredible energetic and passionate India Hicks a few weeks ago and after talking with her I became convinced that it's a worthwhile enterprise. Will I do well? I am not sure yet, but I hope I can work out the kinks and give it a good try. Usually I have a certain fear of committing to such business, where others have a direct interest of me succeeding. I fear I will let them down. There is a pressure, which makes me uncomfortable. But this is another plan for the coming year: Stepping out of my comfort zone.

First hosting party in December

I want to hold myself accountable and the discipline which I have learned to apply to my writing might come in handy. Just do it, is my motto. I have nothing to loose. Ok, I could not sell and grow as I hope, but it's no reason not to try. To be truthful, this daring yes to it has given me a kick, a delightful rise in adrenaline and I have had nothing but a good time with it. You might think writing and thinking and all the intellectual exercises might exclude such down to earth selling business? Think again. I actually feel it boosts my confidence, I'll get used to approaching people, trying to market something I believe in. It might actually sharpen my wits once I will need to sell my manuscript to editors or agents, who are totally indifferent or might perhaps be absolutely disinterested. A practice in marketing....

India Hicks and I

I have already started and yesterday I took heart and dialed the hotel where we will stay between Christmas and New Year and asked if they would agree to a trunk show. I have not heard from them yet, but the worse would be they'd say no. But I have a good feeling.

Christmas Fairy

This year has been quite eventful. My husband started in spring to work with an incredible energized start up company on Wall Street, long hours, but so rewarding, my oldest son made a short film about a fifteen-year old ballerina, which will be distributed at the Cannes Film Festival, yours truly worked as art director on it and we are beyond happy about his success. Find it here. Second son finished his Masters degree, daughter will finish High School in spring, and yes she went all alone to England and manages life there by herself. The baby boy towers over me and tells us in earnest he wants to be a lawyer. He is 15 and everything is possible.
Another year has gone by way too fast and as always I reminiscent about time and how important it is to use it wisely. Never has 'Carpe Diem' meant so much to me.
Maybe this is only possible with age. I do not see the evidence yet in my children, life still stretches endlessly in front of them.

Our holiday window

And so I try to use every day and fill it with passion and joy and happiness and the sharing of hope and love, I try to sooth some pain in the world, which is also filled with hatred and revanche and murder and it is the only thing I can hold against it. I am not without hope.

I wish all of you a peaceful year's end and new beginnings! This and health and love and may life be good to you!

I promise to open my little writing room in January '16 and tell you what I work on and how this all is going. I promise not to bore you. It has held me captive for almost 3 years now.

Perhaps you want to join me here and there on my journey.


Victoria