Every damn day…
At the end of September I made a commitment to write and post every day in October.
I am so glad I did. I have to admit I was terrified when I agreed to accept this challenge. I don’t even write every day for myself, let alone words for others to read. I feared that I would run out of things to say, or that no one would read. I didn’t want to make the commitment to every damn day, because I didn’t want to fail. (Truthfully, I gave my self five cheat days so that if I couldn’t make it happen I would share something even if it wasn’t original— and let my perfectionist self off the hook.) This challenge felt like a chance to decide if this was something I was making a commitment to, or something I was fitting on the edges of my life. I want it to be more. I am so glad I participated in this process, it has been clarifying and fun.
Some things I have learned along the way…
Just do it. Since I started the blog last April, I’ve thought about writing much more than I’ve actually done the writing. This helped me find some rhythms and tapped in to some themes I think will serve me well moving forward.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. Editing isn’t my thing. I’ve always known that. When I was the church secretary, kind folks would push the bulletin corrections (in red) under my office door so that I could see them on Monday morning. But I need to figure this out. Some of the errors I’ve found rereading posts that have been out there for a while are quite cringe worthy.
Writing is a craft. I can see my writing getting better with practice. My writing professors would be proud to see me working at this. If I want to be good at something, I have to put in the time AIC —ass in chair.
Some things I still need to work at…
Blogging is its own skill. I need to learn more about blogging itself and connect with others who are learning and growing. I’ve been part of a small community writing together this month and I’ve learned so much from doing it with others.
Clarify my goals. I jumped into this writing challenge because I felt like I needed some focus. While the challenge helped, I need to get clear about what it is I am trying to do with this. I fear it will become another journal… and nobody’s got time for that.
Build community. It is a strange thing to send your words (and life) out in to the world without you there to protect them. It is shocking how many people have read the blog this month, and I hear encouragement and great feedback from different venues, but I would like to find a way to make this feel more connected to others.
So, thanks to all of you who have joined me on this journey. I am looking forward to what lies ahead… I hope you will join me.
This is number 31 of a 31 day writing challenge. Please click here to follow the rest of the series. Thank you for joining me on this journey!