Summer Camp Recap & Reading Challenge

Summer Struggles

I finished out Summer Camp with three more articles to Lore Linea's name. A fair bit less than Diamond (32), and falling short of my minimum goal of Copper (8). I normally don't struggle to write–it's my favorite hobby, being lost in my worlds and bringing them from my mind onto a page. I knew Diamond would still be a climb for me, but I didn't think Copper would be out of reach for myself, even when dealing with post concussion syndrome. As of writing this article, I haven't been back to work in four months since an accidental greeting between my forehead and a coworker's elbow. It took about two months to be able to start writing again. (It turns out thinking is a physical activity! It hurts!) And being able to delve into creative projects helped me feel productive and more at ease when I haven't been able to really do very much else. So when I heard about Summer Camp, I thought, "Perfect timing!"

However it turns out July was not the ideal timing I thought for heavily focused writing. Instead I found my headaches, nausea, fatigue, and strain launched into the stratosphere as I almost simultaneously began brain rehab therapy. I struggled to write as I couldn't focus or think the way I had before therapy started, managing to always be thinking about my world and ideas, but when it came to writing them down, it was just a step too steep to handle. The following week I flew out of state for a family trip and the week after that, another trip out of town. My poor brain felt rattled around as I struggled to keep up with life, let alone an external challenge and pressure I was placing upon myself.

However, I found comfort in the World Anvil community. When I felt rough about my progress falling more and more behind my goals (first diamond, then silver, slipping to just wanting to claim copper and finally...admitting defeat), several folks chimed in to offer words of encouragement, support, advice, and comfort. It's truly wonderful to see so many people around this common goal lift each other up. And not just myself, each and every time someone else struggled in any which way, large or small, the community was there. There are some truly wonderful people in this community and it was a pleasure to get to meet some of you. Even if I couldn't earn a badge for it, I'm still incredibly glad I participated and got to have this experience. I wish it had gone differently for me, but if this injury has taught me nothing else, I am learning to be okay with where my limitations are at.

To all of you in the WA Discord who responded in the SC channel when I was struggling, or have chatted with me in dm's, my sincerest thank you for your kindness and support. You are all amazing people. I can't wait to write with you all next year and try again.

For now I am going to focus on my health. One thing Summer Camp granted me was so much time spent thinking about Lore Linea. I've developed more deeply (albeit in my head) for it than ever. It's just a matter of getting it written out–but only when I have healed enough to do so, when my circumstances suit it a bit better. I'll still be around to write as I am able to. As slowly as I need to.

Progress is progress. My 100% might look a bit different right now, and that's okay.

Reading Challenge

For now though, it's time to take a break and read! I paced myself with starting the challenge (and writing this article) by taking a couple weeks in between SC ending and now. These are all articles that have inspired me with their formatting, creative writing or concepts, and that I simply just enjoyed.