I keep mulling over what I said in my first post, about who I was writing for. I’m thinking that possibly somewhere down the line I will need a much smaller and succinct strap line(s) to explain it*. Apologies if this post is repeating some of the things from blog #1.
*see the addition of “The Adventures of Jeffrey Elefanté” to the main logo/profile picture as a starting point.
I said that the writing for me was a distraction from other things going on in my life, and though I have become a lot more open about struggling with a mental illness, and would very happily write about it in great detail (and maybe it would be a good thing for me to write about at some point) this isn’t the time or the place. Jeff is one of very few things that I get to keep completely separate from that. He is my escape. I also spoke of my catalyst in my last post – I very much think that I would be pursuing this venture even if everything in life was quite stable, but I don’t quite thing I’d have reached the point I am at if I now if everything had been stable. Swings and roundabouts whilst looking at clouds with silver linings?
It isn’t just the writing that is the escape. He is a part of my life. He currently resides mainly on the coffee table, where him and Moo look after their (fuzzy felt) farm, conspiring over their admin and business processes whilst looking after the animals and making sure the ducks behave. Seasonal friends join them from time to time, so right now he has Mr. Christmas Tree and Snowman visiting.
And yes, I can easily have a conversation with him. Well, I say easily, his literal logic over some things can easily stump me for what to say next, and often it’s best not to try to explain too much of the complexities of the English language. He is very good at nodding and accepting things he is told, and I find myself doing the same when he has made one of his points. It’s just easier that way. If he ever does out-fox (or out-elephant) me, the quickest trick to distract him is to either point out something red or wave at him.
I’m trying to think of an example… If he is being rambunctious, you can’t call him a ‘cheeky little monkey’ – he will politely inform you in a confused manner, that he isn’t a monkey. And he’s not wrong.
The conversations also help the writing. I do have a bad procrastination problem and my head can cause me big problems when it comes to focusing on one thing or task. I can just simply stare at the screen and not be able to type the next word, because I just don’t know what it is, or my head becomes a void of nothingness. I joke about being Jeff’s ghost writer, but it is a bit more than just a joke, for at times when I hit this wall, unsure of what to write next, the easiest way to find out, is to ask Jeff what he thinks he would do in a certain situation. Then the writing starts to flow again. If I am not quite his ghost writer, he is definitely my muse.
So I come back full circle once again to that dreaded question; Who am I writing for? I inferred in my first blog that the books were an escape for me, but it is far more than just the books, and it is far more than just an escape. Jeff is as much a part of my world as I am part of his. Who I’m writing for is anyone who needs an escape, anyone who can smile at a red elephant, and anyone who ‘gets’ it. On a more serious note, I would hope that these books and stories can help to ground anyone going through anything, on any level, of what I have and am going through. And what I also hope, is that one day, the books could become an escape and a source of joy for you, should you choose to read one.
I know there are a few of you following and reading this now, and I really appreciate it – Just so you know, I’m hoping to keep posting ‘A word from the author’ on a weekly basis.
I hope you are all well, Jeff would say hi, but he’s busy on the farm.
W.G. Clark
Jeffrey Elefanté 