Helpless. It is how I felt during 2012, with so many people I dearly loved passing away. With every death my creativity died a little, too, until I felt I had lost all connection with my projects, with my writing. It left me helpless and I had to shelve manuscripts and translation efforts. The creative juices simply stopped flowing. 

Would I ever write again, I wondered? Get those juices flowing again?

Yes! I just had to remember all the good things in life, too, even if they were into deep hiding, like the Trapajon guy in his tree. I had to reach inside and pull out the good times: my son graduating from High School, a short children’s story published in an anthology, another one accepted to be published this January. The publication of an ultra short story in the anthology 220W next to the short stories of a couple very famous Dutch writers. The completion of my graduation portfolio.

Thinking about the good times bounced me right back into the balance and slowly but surely the creative juices are starting to flow again. I will finish that manuscript. I will finish those translations. And when I look at the fellow up in the picture, my mind starts whirling, thinking up new stories and new projects already.

2013 will be a good year!