When I was little, my favorite thing to do was write. I would come up with story after story, written and illustrated in crayon on white sheets of paper, then stapled into book form. The day my family purchased our first desktop computer, I sat down and typed a story for the first time…and I was hooked.
Some of my stories were really good, and even earned awards at state-level young author contests. I continued writing stories throughout my teenage years, and then ventured into nonfiction essays, just for fun. It’s really a shame that blogs weren’t a thing back in the late 90s.
For a long time, I thought I might become an author when I grew up. That aspiration evolved into journalism as a high school student, and I was even accepted to several prominent universities’ journalism schools. But then I got honest with myself and realized I needed to pursue music, my true love.
But I kept writing. During college I worked as a consultant in the writing center, and even dabbled in the college newspaper. I was a serious journaler. I never lost my passion for creative expression through writing, though music is what consumed most of my time and energy.
As an adult, I’ve been able to make writing a part of my professional life by way of this blog, but it’s been a bit of a struggle knowing exactly what is appropriate to share here. I’m aware that it’s my own space, and there really aren’t rules, but I’ve been afraid to turn people off — especially if they’re only here for my songs.
The start of the new year was a turning point for me in that regard. Part of the reason I chose SHARE as my word for 2017 was to give myself permission and courage to share whatever it is I feel like sharing, including right here on my blog. I’m not boxing myself in or writing only what I think will please the most people, because after all — how does that saying go? — the key to failure is trying to please everyone (or something like that).
I invested in myself and my intentions by joining The Year of Creativity, a 12-month course that empowers women to pursue creativity alongside motherhood and all the other craziness of everyday life. The course is hosted by my favorite blog, Coffee & Crumbs, and even just a couple weeks in, I have felt a total shift in my motivation to…create.
I hadn’t even thought about all the writing I did as a child, and how much I loved it, until I started digging into the course materials. Life has revolved around the must-do tasks both in my personal and professional life, and the seemingly “non-essentials” got buried underneath.
But what if those “non-essentials” are the very things we need in our life to feel fulfilled? I’m going to spend this year exploring that notion, though I have a feeling I already know the answer.
