Spring cleaning

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Know what I realized lately? So much of the creative process (and life) is about getting out of your head and following your heart.

Noticing your inner critic—who says you can’t make anything original/you’re not talented/you don’t have a story to tell/you can’t finish that project/etc.—and flipping her script. Talking back, then moving ahead.

Wanna try it?

Repeat after me: I am original, creative and talented. I have a story to tell. I have something to say.

Be your own cheerleader. It’s that simple.

It’s time for some spring cleaning: Let go of the clutter and negative noise crowding up your head space. Replace it with something powerful and beautiful instead.

The world has enough angry voices shouting for our attention. How can you give yourself a little more love today?

Keep practicing

crow pose yogaWriting is a lot like yoga. Want to do crow pose? You have to put in time on the mat before taking flight. So you practice & practice & practice. You come to your mat and put in the work. It takes courage. Discipline. Some days you fall. Some days it seems like you’re never going to reach it—you tell yourself you’re not good enough, it’s too hard, you just don’t have the coordination. But you keep showing up. You keep trying.

One day you decide to test your balance. So you lift one foot. Then the other. And suddenly, for a moment, you start to fly. The more you practice, the easier it gets, and soon you’ve mastered the pose and you’re moving on to other, more challenging inversions—side crow & hurdler’s pose & headstand.

Want to get published? Keep writing. Keep coming back to your notebook, your keyboard, even your smartphone and put in the work. Keep showing up. I have dozens of half finished essays, half baked blog posts and rejected submissions in my files. I know it stinks getting rejected. I know how hard it is to silence your inner critic who says you aren’t really an artist. I know what it’s like to be afraid, to stall.

Today I received some good news; today I felt as if I might be starting to to take flight. I know I’m not there yet, but I’m making progress. And I’m more determined than ever to keep writing.

So I’m saying this to you as much as it is a reminder to myself: Keep practicing. Keep trying. Keep showing up. One day you’ll surprise yourself and soar.