In addition to fiction writing, I’m also the managing editor for a writer’s blog. Last week, I asked each of the bloggers, myself included, to write about their plans for the summer. How were they approaching their projects in light of Covid? How were they making up for the in-person events they would normally attend? How were they planning to refill their creative wells?

Their responses were varied, but there were a few things I noticed in common. Everyone was planning to look for new opportunities to connect. Everyone felt like they could actually write something this summer, as opposed to the beginning of the pandemic when most of us felt shell-shocked. Everyone was trying to adapt their own habits to meet this new reality.

There was also an underlying tone of uncertainty in our articles. None of us know what this pandemic means for us long term - personally, professionally, emotionally. We’re keeping the fear at bay by pushing forward, finding new ways to work, adapting. But, the fear is still there. Most of the photos we chose to go with our posts last week were a bit dark and ominous, even if the writing was mostly upbeat.

The sun is shining. We are attempting to find our equilibrium in these uncertain times. We’re thinking creatively. But the fear is still there. Or maybe we can reverse that sentiment. The fear is still there, but we are bravely attempting to navigate through it.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
— Nelson Mandela