After months of knowing something wasn’t right… then weeks of thinking about it, and days of reading and journaling, I finally have clarity. My new why shines like a light in the darkness where I wandered for far too long. And since not much is in isolation, my why led to a definition of success, which led to goals, which brought me back to my why. I’m not celebrating or sharing the details, for fear that my new perspective will dim.
I took another look at my calendar for 2023. I’m adding some dates for deadlines for first drafts, for rewrites, and for publishing. I’m making a list of the bits of writing I do that don’t end up in a published book. And when I feel the overwhelm peering over my shoulder, I remind myself that even if I don’t meet a deadline, despite my discipline and perseverance, that I can give myself grace for being human. For the first time in months, excitement for creative endeavors outshines the work I know is needed to complete the projects.
I understand the challenges. Fiction and nonfiction. Novels, novellas, short stories, flash fiction, serials, standalones… and yet, inside, I’m thinking, “Wouldn’t that be cool if…” If the muse pulled up a chair and sat next to me… if I followed my process and let the stories unfold… if I stayed rooted in the joy of creating… if I made notes of the discoveries along the way… if I let go of expectations and just loved the moment and the flow…
This is it for 2022! I’ll be back for another 52 blog posts starting January 6. You’ll get to read about project updates, discoveries I make about the art and the artist, and bits of life as they appear. Thanks for taking this ride with me! See you on the other side.
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