Mad Brain on Holiday

Lately I’ve been in a bit of a dark and emotional place, entirely self-inflicted I might add.

You see, I write dark/horror fiction. It’s my favourite genre, and one I love to read. But when you get into a book like “The Handmaid’s Tale” or some Edgar Allen Poe, you spend a few days in that headspace. When you are writing said genre and descend headlong into constructing a dark, oddly terrifying world that you have to live in for a while (at least in your head), OMFG, it really affects your mood. Just ask husbando.

So to celebrate the many dark spaces in my brain at the moment, I bring you 6 things that cheered me up this week (somehow 6 seems like an appropriate number).

1. Watching the live stream of Bastille at Coachella. OK, Dan Smith takes self-deprecation and lack of self-confidence to a whole new level, but he’s a masterful storyteller with a beautiful voice. OK. Crushing a little bit. I cranked their live gig up on Saturday on our big in-lounge screen. Oddly, some of his music is very haunting & melancholy, but hell, watching them live made me wickedly happy.

2. My 8 year old daughter Scout drew me this little somethin’ somethin’ while I was having a writer’s blocky type meltdown thingie wotsit. This child is a keeper.

3. Having a girlie’s drink with one of my bestest buddies. A belly laugh can be all you need to sweep one out of a funk. I laughed ’til I cried, we talked silly girly crushes and got our cathartic on. HELLS yes. Girlfriends rock.

4. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I took a girlfriend to see Three Stuffed Mums at the festival, which was really quite hilarious. I must be in a pretty black place though, because, whilst it was funny, it also made me a bit depressed. I love being a mum, but I also want to 1) retain my pelvic floor 2) do more than just be a mum and 3) not have to ever smell teenage boys.

5. Game of Thrones “Honest” Trailer. OK, it’s puerile, amateur and is probably only going to appeal to the diehard geeks out there (and those who have already seen S3), but I really did wet myself. So much for that pelvic floor.

6. Kylie from A Study in Contradictions facebooked me this photo suspecting that I might need some thinking woman’s crumpet to go with my Sunday afternoon cuppa. Oh how right she was. Shame about the crafting thing, though. He really needs to rethink that.

You’re welcome.