My Offline Escapades: Vol I

For the month of January, I went on digital sabbatical with the intentions to reconnect, rediscover and redefine my purposes here at Convivial Society (soon to be renamed and relaunched as The Convivial Woman end of February).

So, January has come and gone and I’ve returned on this fine, icy, cold day in February. Yes, me, Cheryl Chavarria A.K.A. The Convivial Woman is saying Bye Bye sabbatical, Hello writing again.

Wow! January was intense and unforgettable for me. Please tell me you’re all goo goo gaga about my return, because this is a big deal for me! I was beginning to feel pent up like a genie in a bottle. Being offline and in a sense out of touch was starting to wear on me…shall I dare talk about how moody and out of my comfort zone I felt toward the end?

Where to begin, ya’ll?

There are various experiences to share about my offline escapades, so get ready for a series of posts related to my sabbatical.

Let’s talk about love! Love of the written word found only in hard-covered books. (Cue Celine Dion’s Titanic song) I’m used to listening to audio books on the go and reading straight off a glowing computer screen, however this month caused me to fall hard once again for “real” books (especially the oversized coffee table kind).

After a full day of handling mommy and wifey business for my two little warriors and “Life is Good” quoting husband, I spent every evening possible at Barnes & Noble eager to immerse myself in literary worlds yet unknown to me.

Before settling into a comfy chair or plopping my butt down in some random corner, I was sure to have all faithful friends join me: favorite notebook and pen, precious iPhone for googling purposes and either a venti sized Iced Passion Tea or a tall White Mocha. I made a new friend with the Starbucks blueberry muffin on my first night out!

Next, I’d peruse the self-help, business, design and writing sections to see which book titles would say my name say my name. Then…I got my reading on.

Getting off Facebook & Twitter

for some old school reading was not a big deal so if you’re considering it, be sure to declare your purpose for doing so to yourself and the world. That way when you’re tempted to check in, peek at comments, or get back to your regular stalking schedule (it’s okay, we’re all voyeurs and a certain amount is normal, but if that’s you’re thing exclusively, umm…well), you can rest assure that having a purpose for being offline will remind you to stay on task. Luckily, I didn’t feel the need to delete the apps off my phone, but if you find the idea “out of sight out of mind” a better way to go, then do it.

It took some time to get comfortable sitting still with book in lap. I’m always on the go, moving from one room to another, snatching up toys and garments, multi-tasking like a mother (pun intended), and always ready to check the next thing off my To Do list. My initial discomfort drives home the fact that I have trouble just chillin’ in the moment. I’ve heard its called being “present” (wink wink). Mommy syndrome, perhaps?

The first week, I read The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

Danielle LaPorte raved about this book and since she’s an entrepreneurial mama whose work I admire, I checked it out.

Since my purpose to break from my digital existence was to redefine and better understand

What I want to “be about”

as The Convivial Woman, I didn’t experience any epiphany until day 3 while reading The Creative Habit’s chapter called “Pick A Fight”.

Twyla (yeah, I’ve decided we’re on a first name basis here) spoke about creativity and how creative thinking is an act of defiance and about questioning accepted truths, norms and principles. Then she shared the following questions with me which she considers are the impulses that guide all creative people:

:: Why do I have to obey all the rules?

(I got sudden visions of me being conditioned to play nice even when others weren’t, of moments when I didn’t follow my heart’s desire for fear of going against my parents’ wishes for me.)

::Why can’t I be different?

(instantly heard that inner voice that continually tugs at my heart, saying “Go ahead…show them who you really are!)

::Why can’t I do it my way?

(The words Bossy, Demanding and Bitch surfaced.)

I recognized myself in each of those questions and have always been committed to letting them guide me as a creative person, and especially as a woman.

It was clear that The Convivial Woman was in the making. She was creative, defiant and always questioning accepted truths and behaviors. This was my spirit at heart and the same spirit that I believe exists in each woman.

Changing your name is a very soul-seeking adventure (in this case, my site’s name) and I’m enjoying it thus far! Although at the beginning stages of this switch, I’m already on my way to declaring something powerful when it comes to my artform best known as The Convivial Woman. I can see the fog that surrounds her image slowly dissipating.

To be continued…and stay tuned for more in my next post!

Living in a convivial world,

Cheryl Chavarria

***
P.S. January was all about me, some self-study and redefining my intentions for this space. February is going to be about implementation and execution of what I discovered in January about The Convivial Woman, so stay connected or get connected via Facebook or Twitter (boxes to the right–>).

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