When you perpetually avoid something on your to-do list for months, at some point, you have to take a hard look at why.

In the case of this podcast and blog, I realized two things:

1.     I have learned so much from podcasting, and had a great time doing it, but at the end of the day, when I have limited time to pursue my creative endeavors, that just wasn’t what I wanted to work on.

2.     Putting out regular blog and podcast content was preventing me from moving forward with putting together a Culinary Saijiki book manuscript.

Yet while I was always finding reasons to postpone work on this aspect of the project, the fact that it was left unresolved was also keeping me from moving forward.

While I always struggle to leave things behind (even though I know it’s time), I’ve recorded this short episode today to formally wrap up this phase of the project. In doing so, I make public my commitment to have a draft by the end of the year, and free myself of the unfinished business that was keeping me from delving into the book phase of this project.

I will always be grateful for the conversations I got to have, for the opportunity to present on this subject at Haiku North America, and for the ways in which the podcast and blog work helped me developed my editorial and aesthetic foci for the book. I can’t wait to see what’s next, and I hope you’re as excited as I am.

Thank You to all of my podcast guests, including open mic participants. I enjoyed talking about haiku and sharing your work. Our conversations brought fresh insights to this project and propelled me forward.

Thank You to everyone who bought me a tea (I recently change my Buy Me a Coffee purchase to reflect my love of tea). Your support made a difference in terms of being able to keep this running.

Keep an eye on this space, the Buy Me a Coffee page, and my personal website for book progress updates. Keeping you in the loop is how I’ll stay accountable to getting a draft done by the end of the year.