I’m in between again. Going back to the old magic: the little rituals that keep me going. Morning pages in addition to the journaling. Other various sundry secret strangenesses. Doing the shadow work: dipping deep into myself and examining the things I have set aside. Bringing the stuff I love back into the light.

In animation the cels or frames that are in the middle of key poses are called “in betweens”. Some of them are rather distorted or strange-looking in isolation. When I was in college studying animation, I frequently found myself in a state of in between – knowing that I was not where I wanted to be and supremely dissatisfied with where I actually was in the moment. It felt like I was running an endless marathon, shoving myself aside just to complete tasks that felt increasingly less good to complete. Until I decided to stop running and fight.

My combat is restorative. Instead of fighting against myself, I started fighting on my side. And wouldn’t you know it? I hit a key pose. I quit school. I gave myself the time I needed to write instead of wedging it into my life like an afterthought. I prioritized my heart instead of the advice of others. It’s not easy to do. If you’re struggling with this, you have my full empathy. It’s a shit time. Setting boundaries and making decisions that are healthy for you can be fucking hard. But it’s worthwhile. It is rewarding.

No real overwhelming point to today’s post. In order to have key poses, you need in betweens, and vice versa. Hope we all get some key poses soon.