Residency Frustrations

When you get your writing wish and it backfires

I’m currently writing from the Writer’s Colony in Dairy Hollow located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I’ve been here for a couple of days and I’ve settled into my suite. It is the Maya Angelou suite and it’s perfect. The carpeting is a nice shade of pink. There is artwork and quotes on the walls. A bookcase contains some of Angelou’s works. There’s even a quilt containing pictures of Angelou and her publications.

Not only is the suite perfect, but the amenities in the suite are good as well, I have a mini fridge and microwave. I have dishes and silverware. The bathroom is large and modern. I love the shower. It’s round with a glass sliding door. There’s a separate room with a work desk, a comfy chair, and a quilt. There’s a closet for my clothes and a tall dresser drawer. The front porch is spacious with a rocking chair. There’s a back porch and deck that I haven't had the chance to investigate just yet. All in all, I love my suite.

But there’s a problem.

I can’t get my writing act together. I’ve been here since Saturday afternoon and have only managed to write some poetry drafts. While it does count, I feel that it isn’t enough. Before coming to the residency, I had everything planned out. I would work on submissions, write new poems for my second poetry collection and even start my book of essays and work on some fiction. Every day would be filled with writing.

But it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

I spent Saturday afternoon exploring the downtown area, eating at a vegan cafe, and grocery shopping. On Sunday, I slept late, ate breakfast, and went back downtown, to buy some books and stickers. I’m trying to watch my spending, but there are so many cool things to buy! I then had dinner at Spring on Main, a nice big salad, with another residency fellow. When I came back to the suite, I typed up the poetry drafts.

Today, I went to the Crescent Hotel to use their swimming pool. The pool is about half the size of the pool we use back home. But it served its purpose. The pool depth ranged from 2 ft to 6 ft. The water was clear, but full of leaves, twigs, and insects. I rescued a bug from drowning! The metal steps are slippery and I scraped my knee. It started to bleed so I sat by the pool in a cabana. I washed my knee, got a bandaid and ointment from the front desk, and hobbled back to my suite.

Once at the suite, I ate lunch, a nice cheese sandwich, and chips, I then showered and headed back downtown. The stores close early in Eureka Springs. I mean, really early, like 5 or 6 pm! And today is Monday! I thought that was crazy! But I just have to adjust and get into town before things shut down. I did manage to get some more stickers and some cool pins. I also bought a rabbit stuffie from a store called East meets West. They have a live rabbit on the premises. It is so cute! And it can do tricks!

Afterward, I started the walk back to the colony. I kept hoping the trolley would show up, but after a while, I kept walking. We get dinner during the week at the colony and I didn’t want to miss the first night. As I was walking, a car pulled up and stopped by me. It was Lloyd and Amber from Adventure Arts. They’re nice people I met on Sunday. They gave me a ride back to the colony which saved me time.

Dinner was good. I think it was veggie lasagna. The rolls were delicious! I wanted more but only managed to snag two. There were six of us at dinner. Five women and one man. Everyone was from far away. Victoria was from New Hampshire. Andrew was from Pennsylvania. Sharon was from North Carolina. Nora and Lynn were from Missouri. They worked together at the university. Missouri was only a two-hour drive away for them.

I was glad to meet everyone. But I had hoped there would be other people of color at the residency. Maybe some people will come later in the week. I spent a bit of time at Victoria’s suite, listening to cicadas and birds screech at each other. The living room was comfortable and quiet. I think that’s what bothers me — the quiet. I usually create in chaos — tv blaring, phone on social media, and family coming in and out. Here, it is quiet. Sometimes a car drives by or the town trolley, but that’s it.

I need noise. It helps me to focus. All I have now is the whirring of the fan and the sounds of cars passing on the road. I have to adjust to this place and soon. Before I know it, my residency will be over and I won’t have anything to show for it. I’m not about to waste any more time. I have to focus. I must produce work.