And so the sun sets…
Today is day 7 of my 365 challenge to write a post every day. And so far this is the 7th post I’ve published. 7 for 7!! As the sun sets on this first week, I’ve been struck by a few things…
The first is that I’m taking more photographs with the specific purpose of sharing them alongside my words on my blog. Which reminds me of when I first started blogging all those years ago, and began snapping shots to illustrate my thoughts and stories. Something about personal blogging and photography marry together so beautifully – drawing forth both words and images. I am as surprised and delighted by this discovery as I was a decade ago!
Another thing I’m struck with is that this pace of sharing my words is close to overwhelming. I’ve been so used to taking my time to really sit with my words and my thoughts, letting them gestate into new work, and then only rarely finding their way out into the public realm. Consequently, this sharing of a post each day is radically shifting my creative practice. I don’t have time to second guess myself. Or to feel self-conscious. Or to talk myself out of posting. The commitment is there, and so I am determined to show up and write and share that writing. And this is calling for an adjustment in the rhythms of my writing.
It is also calling for a shift in the way I work with my hang ups around perfectionism. If I have an hour or so to write a post, before I go into a full day of client calls, goddess readings, family time etc. then I can’t afford to get blocked in my writing, and I have to (quickly!) work through any squeamishness that I may have around sharing something less than beautifully polished. The lived experience of this is rather similar to the rapid removal of a plaster (band-aid), or a sudden plunge into a pool of water considerably colder than you anticipated. A bit raw, tender and shocking. But exhilarating too. I am finding my own vulnerability here refreshing.
Lastly, I am learning once again how to be with the blank page. This is something that I encountered often when working to a deadline in my academic work. Writing to a deadline, showing up to write, and then encountering the white expanse of screen that awaits your words. And yes…. The blinking cursor. Returning to writing regularly, daily, I am also returning to the blank page. And finding that it’s not such a scary encounter after all.
So, that’s a few reflections on the past week. Let’s see what next week brings…
