Solitude

Time is essential to my being able to feel creative. And time is also a teacher. If I have time to let something sit, that’s the best way for me to see it. – Jennifer Habel

Ok, I have officially reached a weak spot, and I’m so up for the challenge. I’m quite the dabbler; it’s what makes me feel alive. Buuuut this idea is quite challenging for me. All I can think is that I need time to think, to really argue with myself about all those tiny truths I’ve picked up on my journey. It’s a lot. It all creates BIG feelings for me. As someone who already feels the world deeply, this is going to take some serious solitude to unpack. That’s how I’m feeling at this point with my novel.

How’s your writing journey!!

Now is not the time to quit. Those stories are literally going to be someone’s reason to get out of bed in the morning. Keep going.

Stay Tuned

“You can fix anything but a blank page.” – Nora Roberts

I’ve been staring at this blank page for an hour now. But as you can see, the page being blank is now in the past. I’m doing a lot of dreaming, but yesterday I couldn’t hold back and wrote a new short story. I look forward to sharing it once it goes through the editing chamber. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a writer, it’s that the end product is never the same as the beginning product. So I don’t want to share too much. But be on the lookout; a brand new short story might be coming your way very soon. I say very soon using writer’s time, which means it could drop tomorrow, next week, or next month. But it’s started, and the ending is written. So stay tuned… 😉

Do you have any new writing coming out? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to check out your work!

Writing is…

“By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.” – Roald Dahl

This. To hear one of my most favorite writers say this means the world to me. Seriously, as writers, what you share with other writers makes all the difference in the world. If it were not for the work writers left behind, I would have quit writing years ago. Well, who knows, really? The evolution of the entire world rests in the hands of writers. I can’t think of a world without it. Anyway, writing is rewriting, and that’s a fact. It’s a whole lifestyle.

How’s your writing going?! Inspire me!

Quick Thoughts on Writing Groups

“The writing process is the time where nothing’s been set in stone. It’s a blank slate, or a blank page.” -Leigh Whannell

Whether you’re a beginner writer with a vision,

or a seasoned writer filling in a blank page daily, the gift of having a small writing community is invaluable. Our thoughts and minds get to come together in places where our stories stay separate. During the creation process, we often find ourselves circling our own thoughts and feelings and don’t even realize it until we get ourselves stuck. That is why spending time with other writers is an integral part of the writing journey.

Today, at my writer’s group,

I had so much fun. We are all learning so much from each other and continuing to write against all odds.

Have you met up with any other writers lately? If yes, what’s your favorite part?

Let Me Tell You, Friyay is in Full Effect

Let’s start with this,

We don’t have to earn rest. We rest when we are tired,

but let me tell you,

I earned this weekend off. Phew! I’m expanding into new avenues, and I’m doing it all step by step and with very little solitude. I feel like I’m expanding so many things at once that the steps I’m taking feel so small. So if you’re out there trying a bunch of new things all at once this summer, I see you. We got this!

Trust Yourself

“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.” –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This is one of my biggest challenges. I’m getting better, though. I will stand my ground, but often when I walk away, I’ll Google my stance just in case. I’m getting better though.

How have I been able to get better at trusting myself?

By facing the honest truth.

There are times when I’m wrong, but I have no shame in admitting when I’m wrong. And that’s exactly how I stand my ground. I think to myself, maybe I am wrong, but I can be honest and change my stance with new information. Right now, in this moment, it doesn’t feel right; not from my past experiences, not from my education, and not from how it’s sounding.

That’s what works for me.

Do you have no trouble trusting yourself? Or are you like me and learning new ways to trust yourself every day?

I Chose Peace Today

“You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices. ” -Deepak Chopra

I’m increasing my workload, so now I’m wiped! I’m glad that today I was able to be more productive than I have been. At the same time, I’m glad I made the choice to take a moment for myself. It was very grounding and brought me so much peace. These moments of rest give me what I need to keep going. If you haven’t seen, I posted a picture of this moment and shared it on my Instagram page.

Side note: I follow writers back! If you have an Instagram, I’d love to connect. If you’re feeling chatty, send me a message to chat about writing; that would really inspire me.

Possibility

The search for the best undergrad program to get a BA in Psychology that fits my lifestyle continues. I spent this morning talking to three different schools and just felt so defeated. I started feeling myself sink down into those low vibes that just don’t help in these situations.

To keep myself afloat,

I went through my “living my best life” toolkit: a sweet treat, sit in the sun, make popcorn and watch Ironheart, play a game on my phone and listen to YouTube; that’s just a few. I decided Ironheart was my best option, so I got the oil heated for popcorn, and for some reason, I wanted more. More of something that these colleges weren’t providing me with, even though they preach it left and right.

Before I tell you what that is, I want to share that I have no quit in me. There wasn’t one part of me in this moment that thought giving up was an option. Finding a way was and always will be my best option. So, with that being said, let’s continue.

I started to find myself feeling stuck.

I felt lost. What options are left for me? I feel like I’m sitting on my hands waiting for the three schools to get back to me. Now I want to explain; I understand that all this is normal, but goodness, it feels like I’m up against a system that isn’t human at all. I know others have done it and have done amazingly well. They worked, parented, and still made the honor roll, but something just doesn’t seem right here. I feel as though my honor roll status has gained me zero leverage. I find myself questioning the point of a GPA altogether.

Then voices began to taunt me, I told you so. Yeah, it’s not worth it.

The crazy thing is:

People have disregarded dreams throughout history. BUT the important thing to remember ☝🏽 is that those critical voices are the smallest part when it comes to bringing our dreams to reality.

But wait there’s good news!

We can redirect our energy away from the negative voices and focus on new ways to reach our goals! That, my friends, is the gift of life. The gift we get to learn about ourselves and this absolutely amazing world we live in.

When I redirected my focus, that’s when I figured out what I was looking for:

Possibility

I wanted more possibility. How can I make this work? And so here I am sharing with you the same word that shifted my focus from feeling stuck to re-energized and motivated to keep going!

I leave you with this quote from Albert Einstein. He refers to science, but I think it can be equally applied to life.

“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”

Validation

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. ” -Gail Devers

Today’s Random Thought (That probably isn’t so random)

Some people love their work so much, they have no idea how hard they are actually working. The crazy part is their love makes it look easy, so people around them also don’t realize how hard they are working. This is why it’s important to learn to validate your own efforts. Know when you need to rest and know when it’s time to grind. (I don’t know if we’re grinding right now, but I’m just saying).

What do think? Do you validate your hard work? Nice work! You really are doing amazing! -just wanted to take a moment to validate your hard work for you.