My Writing Challenge

In just a few days, I will be heading off on my extended vacation.  I’ll be spending 5 full weeks travelling around all the British Isles and then will continue on to Madrid for a week.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this trip.  It’s been a long time coming and it is definitely well deserved as I have been working like a maniac for almost a year.  This is the first full weekend I’ve had off since, I think, last June.  I know, it sounds crazy doesn’t it?  But this sacrifice of my time (and some of my sanity) will soon be rewarded and this insanely busy time will feel like a distant memory.  At least, I hope so.

While away, I will challenge myself once again with a new task.  Since I have been writing mostly for everyone else over this past year and not so much for myself, I am vowing to dedicate this time away all to me.  My challenge will be to write something each day – a poem, a story, a future blog post, or whatever else I’m inspired to write.  The catch?  Everything I write will only be handwritten in a journal.  Since I will have limited computer and Internet access while away, I am going to take advantage of this technological withdrawal and reconnect with some good ol’ fashioned pen and paper.  Somehow, sharing this challenge with all of you makes it more real and gives me greater incentive to actually keep my promise.  I’m super excited about the idea and am very much looking forward to just getting away from it all, getting back to basics, and reconnecting with myself and nature.

As I’ll be travelling through some breathtaking destinations, I’m sure I will not be lacking in inspiration.  I am hoping that my writing will come naturally from my experiences and that I won’t feel forced to write something because I’ve made this vow.  Just thinking about some of the places I will be visiting is stirring my imagination.  I can’t wait for this new adventure to begin!

Thus, since I will be trying to “unplug” from technology while away, my blog will suffer from lack of new content, but rest assured that once I have returned, I will have plenty to contribute and will certainly make up for lost time.

And so, I wish you all a wonderful spring.  Stay tuned…

The Value of Time

We’ve all heard that “time is money”, but how much is it really worth?  As a freelance writer, this is a big question because, basically, I’m pretty much putting a price on myself.  The time writers take to research, to invent, to write, is sometimes disregarded, as it is the final product, the end result, which only seems to hold any merit.  But is the rest of our time not worth something as well?

Lately I’ve been pondering this question more frequently as I try to stretch my time and myself as far as they will go, mostly to my own detriment.  I have come to realize that taking the time to relax, to play, to regroup is integral to my longevity as a writer, for it is during this time that I can truly flourish.  Taking the time to think, to dream, to be inspired, and to let my imagination wander is what enhances my creativity and writing.  Without this freedom and rest, I would merely be trying to sponge up water from an empty bucket, and then what would I be worth?

While we may all feel that we are utterly priceless, we must find a way to reach a compromise, to maintain balance, so that our creative juices can continue to flow. Isn’t this the challenge we’re all battling in life; being able to achieve our goals without sacrificing our time, our value, our integrity, and our sanity?  I for one feel like I’m fighting this fight every day.  When does it end?

For now, I am learning to just say “no”.  No to more projects when I simply don’t have the time, no to constant demands I can’t fulfill, no to the rape of my creativity and spirit.  It’s time I finally started saying “yes” to me, because at the end of the day, you really can’t put a price on the time you’ve lost missing out on what matters most.

So, how much are you worth?

Starting From Scratch… Again

I think every writer comes to a point in life when he or she begins to wonder, “what am I writing about, and whom am I really writing for?” You begin to doubt yourself and the value of your words. You wonder if they hold any merit, if anyone is really reading them, enjoying them, learning from them. I know I’ve come to that place several times and it’s almost made me stop writing altogether. Almost.

I’d lay awake at night, mentally and emotionally exhausted from having sapped every ounce of inspiration out of myself for a writing assignment that I’d have nothing left for me. No rousing words to utter from my lips. No stimulating sentences to prance across my page. Nothing. Then, in the wee hours of the morning, I’d awake with random words and phrases racing through my mind. They would poke and prod at my brain shouting, “Wake up! Write me down! This stuff is good!” but sadly, I would be too tired to act. Shushing my own thoughts, I would just roll over and try to get back to sleep in order to be well rested for the next day of soul sucking work.

It wasn’t that I was beginning to hate writing for others; I was only beginning to resent it. I was angry. It was taking time away from me; the me who had dreams; the me who had so much to share with the world from deep inside my inner core; the me whose spirit wanted to soar, to dance, to share, untethered; the me who wanted to fly.

And so one day, I decided to just let myself do that. I made a promise to myself that I would sacrifice my time for a while and spend it writing for others, so that I could afford to take a break and reconnect with myself, to rekindle that inspiration, to find my words again. I promised myself a vacation, where I would focus entirely on myself. No worrying about finding work assignments. No stressing over deadlines. Just me, a pen, some paper, and the world.

In a month’s time, I will own up to that promise. I will revisit the passion I’ve had since I was a child and will allow myself to fully embrace it. Rather than throwing away the random scraps of paper that are cluttering my nightstand, I will throw caution to the wind. I will enjoy every single second of time, every moment of wonder, every moving experience. I will start from scratch, again and be grateful for this gift I have given myself.