Children's book author and blogger Christina explores the fine line between "writer" and "housewife" in this guest post...
Christina Rozeas blogs about travel at The Globetrotting Gamine and has written and illustrated Where Did All the Cookies Go?, a children's book about "counting, kindness and sharing" starring her adorable doggy, Vasi. Show her some love on her Facebook page here and become a fan for a much-needed dose of pupply love in your news feed.
A Writer's Observation
In the world we live in today, most new households bring in a steady income from two people: husband and wife.
Nothing is truer than the fact that I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My name is Christina Rozeas and presently, I am a housewife.
I am a vacuum-wielding, cooks-every-night, laundry fluff and fold, and husband-mediator housewife. I even have a puppy and am working on the white picket fence.
And I'm also a writer.
I am very well aware that my "occupation" for the last few years brings up a lot of questions for most, especially the closest of friends. "She doesn't do anything all day!" "You mean you actually have time to do that? I don't -- I have a job!" are comments I hear whispered behind my back and sometimes off to the left. These are questions that people don't have the guts to ask me personally, through any type of communication. People will think what they want no matter what you tell them anyway.
Tortured artist? Pfft. Tortured writer is more the likes of the mess that lingers in my brain. So sue me if I hate to clean and my husband moans about one meal per month that he'd rather do without. Take a look in my purse, for example -- notebook, notepad, pens and markers are abundant. Notes are everywhere -- they may be for one of the five manuscripts I am in the middle of writing, how to promote my children's books, for one of the other 14 stories I need to illustrate, and which agents to query.
In the purses of my friends? A to-do list of tasks to complete upon arrival at home.
Newsflash: I am ALWAYS working. I am not a 9-to-fiver or a 9-to-3 school employee anymore. Puttering around the house and in front of the computer is as exhausting to me as everyone else's job is, if not more so because to me, it's not a job -- I've made a life-choice.
Even when I was working, I would come home to putter and write. I am not a sack of potatoes that runs home to clean and then that's it. I was never that person. So when people tell me, "What you mean you don't have time to go do __________?" it REALLY gets under my skin.
So I don't have a cleaning service come in a few times a month to help me out and I don't drop off the wash at the laundromat, I am it for now. When I get published and the ducks fall in a row, will I still hear the chorus of, "What is she really doing at home?"?
Is this what J.K Rowling and Sophie Kinsella were going through in their pre-published days? Did Stephanie Meyer have the same kind of friends and comments thrown at and around her? I hope not, but most likely...
So before you start the chorus of put downs about your writer friend or relative think of it this way: we are always writing and always creating, just so you have something to read and watch when you get your two weeks off or two months your "real job".
Brilliant post, Christina, it's like you've described my life as well! My mum often asks whether I've gotten a job yet and if I say I'm writing an article replies with "but, I mean a real job". Argggghhh!! Does anyone else have this problem?
Nothing is truer than the fact that I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My name is Christina Rozeas and presently, I am a housewife.
I am a vacuum-wielding, cooks-every-night, laundry fluff and fold, and husband-mediator housewife. I even have a puppy and am working on the white picket fence.
And I'm also a writer.
I am very well aware that my "occupation" for the last few years brings up a lot of questions for most, especially the closest of friends. "She doesn't do anything all day!" "You mean you actually have time to do that? I don't -- I have a job!" are comments I hear whispered behind my back and sometimes off to the left. These are questions that people don't have the guts to ask me personally, through any type of communication. People will think what they want no matter what you tell them anyway.
Tortured artist? Pfft. Tortured writer is more the likes of the mess that lingers in my brain. So sue me if I hate to clean and my husband moans about one meal per month that he'd rather do without. Take a look in my purse, for example -- notebook, notepad, pens and markers are abundant. Notes are everywhere -- they may be for one of the five manuscripts I am in the middle of writing, how to promote my children's books, for one of the other 14 stories I need to illustrate, and which agents to query.
In the purses of my friends? A to-do list of tasks to complete upon arrival at home.
Newsflash: I am ALWAYS working. I am not a 9-to-fiver or a 9-to-3 school employee anymore. Puttering around the house and in front of the computer is as exhausting to me as everyone else's job is, if not more so because to me, it's not a job -- I've made a life-choice.
Even when I was working, I would come home to putter and write. I am not a sack of potatoes that runs home to clean and then that's it. I was never that person. So when people tell me, "What you mean you don't have time to go do __________?" it REALLY gets under my skin.
So I don't have a cleaning service come in a few times a month to help me out and I don't drop off the wash at the laundromat, I am it for now. When I get published and the ducks fall in a row, will I still hear the chorus of, "What is she really doing at home?"?
Is this what J.K Rowling and Sophie Kinsella were going through in their pre-published days? Did Stephanie Meyer have the same kind of friends and comments thrown at and around her? I hope not, but most likely...
So before you start the chorus of put downs about your writer friend or relative think of it this way: we are always writing and always creating, just so you have something to read and watch when you get your two weeks off or two months your "real job".
Brilliant post, Christina, it's like you've described my life as well! My mum often asks whether I've gotten a job yet and if I say I'm writing an article replies with "but, I mean a real job". Argggghhh!! Does anyone else have this problem?
