Tag: Writer

I Didn’t Write for Almost a Month, This Is How I Felt

I adore writing and I have ever since I was a little girl. I was unstoppable with pen and paper. There has hardly been a time in my life when I didn’t write. As a child, I used to create books on my own for fun using construction paper. I would come up with stories and images for my books.

When I got into high school and college, my friends would complain about having to write a paper, but I loved it because I loved to write, and I didn’t care what it was about. I just loved to create art with words.

My Blog

A few years ago, I started a blog to continue my love of writing. I have taken a break here and there and I have also done writing on my own that was meant for just me and not to be shared. My most recent break was just within this last month; I didn’t write at all. I felt so many emotions.

Writing is a part of my soul and I feel lost without it. Sometimes I may not have the mental energy to produce any content, but for the most part, being able to write releases so many emotions within me, it clears my mind and makes me feel more at peace.

Hiatus

During my break, I noticed that I was feeling more emotional. I was also feeling more depressed, and anxious, and I felt very unsettled. I felt this sort of restless energy that wouldn’t go away. I could chalk these feelings up to my current life circumstances, but I think that some of it also has to do with not having an outlet to let my thoughts go. Sure, talking to loved ones helps a lot, but writing helps on a very different level.

Writing is truly therapeutic, and it makes me feel lighter. Of course, when one doesn’t have much mental energy left, it can be very difficult, but overall, writing is like lifting a weight off of my chest. It is just a beautiful process, and it is amazing what one can come up with as they pour out words from their mind and heart.

One thing is for certain, when you remove something that you love and you miss it with your whole heart, you know that you have found something that is part of you! I need to write, I long to write, I am not myself when I am not writing.

This beautiful form of expression holds so much value in my life, it has been ingrained in me since I was a little girl. Breaks are absolutely necessary now and then and so is getting back to something that sets your heart and soul on fire!

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Which Writing Season Are You In?

As writers, we all go through different seasons. There are times when we have so much to say and times when we stare blankly at a screen. We have moments when we want to shout our stories from the rooftops to help and inspire others and times when we turn inward and withdraw.

As with many things in life, writers go through seasons. Sometimes certain seasons last longer than others and sometimes we bounce back very quickly.

Thoughts

I have noticed that life circumstances have the greatest impact on me when it comes to which season of writing that I am in. What is happening in my life, my mental state, and the amount of sleep that I get are just some of the things that keep me going or stop me as a writer.

It can be very difficult to not let life affect our writing. Sometimes it feels easier to shut the computer down and not look back for several months. Sometimes it’s easier to start a story but leave it as a draft. On the contrary, we may be bursting with ideas and in a great writing flow!

Reflection

As I reflect on my season of writing, I notice a few things. I am currently in a season of persistence, but not at full capacity. Several years ago, I had all of the time in the world to write. I never had to worry about time management in regard to writing, except for when I was at work during the day. Today, I am a busy mom of very young children, and finding time to write or do anything for myself for that matter is extremely challenging.

I know there will be a day when they are all in school and I will have more time to dedicate to writing, however, in my current season, I am juggling writing and taking care of my dear kids. I devote as much time to writing as I possibly can. I usually write early in the morning before my kids get up and also at night after I put them to bed. This observation is not all that I have noticed about my current writing season.

The last few years have been quite a journey for me, I have faced numerous challenges, joys, and surprises. Life ebbs and flows. I am very sensitive to change and stress, so my mental state fluctuates with whatever is going on in my life. When too many unfortunate things happen at once, I get very overwhelmed, and I shut down. 

It’s times like these that I have to really push myself to keep writing content instead of going into hibernation mode. A break is great every now and then, but balance is key. Most days I cannot wait to share and write, I want my work to hopefully impact at least one person positively. I want to make a difference in this world.

Question For You

I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on where you are as a writer and how far you have come. Which season are you currently in? Are you fearlessly getting content out as fast as possible, taking a break to see where life takes you, or are you possibly somewhere in between?

It’s important to note that just because we are in a current season, does not mean that we are stuck there. We go through many different paths as writers, and they all help us grow and blossom!

My Heart Belongs to a Keyboard

There are few things in life that capture our hearts and souls. They end up becoming part of us and we cannot imagine our life without them.

As we grow, we may change our passion and hobbies, but the tried and true will always remain.

Younger Years

I remember being in school as a young girl and my teacher would give us a certain amount of time to write a story on anything that we wanted. I remember how magical it felt to pick up a pencil and put it on paper. When the teacher told the class that time was up for the assignment, I remember always feeling like I wasn’t done. I wanted to write forever.

My love of writing remained outside of the classroom as well. As children, my sister and I created books in which we would take computer paper, staple it together, and write a storybook. Our imaginations went wild.

When I got a little bit older and even into my preteen and early teenage years, I began to journal and keep a diary. I remember the feeling of hardly being able to wait to write in my diary every night. I was excited to write about my day and express myself. I loved the way my pen would glide across the page.

Today

I used to handwrite all of my stories as a draft first before typing them, but over time, I chose to go straight to my laptop to create my work.

Writing in general has me falling in love every day, no matter how it is created, whether it be via pen and paper, or laptop, it is all works of art and it is a beautiful process. I have come to love the way typing on a keyboard feels.

Blissful Experience

With my fingers placed on the keys, the keyboard is mine. I can then enter my thoughts and feelings and begin to express myself. The keyboard lets me be myself and I become one with the keys.

Just picturing the feeling of my fingers dancing around the keyboard is enough to bring me great joy. I can’t wait to create and see what my fingers will come up with next. The sound of the keys clicking means thoughts are flowing. It’s all an amazing experience!

My heart belongs to a keyboard and when I am not writing, I feel lost. I wait for the next free moment to feel the natural high. I love and miss the keys. They are part of me, just as writing is.

The whole world is open to me, even one that exists only in my mind and on my screen.

The whole world is literally at my fingertips!

Your Words Are My Escape

There is a person that can take me away, paint an image in my head for me to get lost in, and a person that can help me escape reality for a bit.

Who is this person, you might ask? That person is…YOU!

There are a few ways that we can get lost in another world. One that can take us away from our daily lives and routines so that we can unwind and relax for a bit. Reading, writing, art, and watching TV come to mind instantly.

Reading Your Work

I spend a lot of time enjoying the work of others. I love to read what other people have experienced, and what they have learned in life, and I love lighthearted reads as well. I enjoy learning about other people and learning about their deepest thoughts and feelings.

I find it amazing how we can all come together as a writing community and learn so much from each other. The support that it offers is amazing. It is a huge blessing to be able to share your thoughts with the world and to have that reciprocated by others doing the same.

Thank You

I want to say thank you to those who have written about their lives to help and inspire me, those that have shared their beautiful and heartfelt poetry, and the writers that have shared their traveling experiences that let me venture along with you! I want to say thank you to those who shared their delicious recipes, who shared family memories, and traditions that made me smile and reminisce.

A big thank you to those who help me realize that we are all works of progress and that I am not alone, the ones that bring humor to remind me to laugh and not take life so seriously. The lovely writers who are also photographers who take breathtaking photos to share with the world!

There is so much talent within this community. You all have helped shape me as a person and as a writer. I enjoy all of your talented work and I appreciate how you let me escape reality for a bit each and every day! You are making a difference!

The Story Behind My Unoriginal Name

Where did this hardly unique name of mine come from? You probably can guess it! I am kind of embarrassed about it now because I strive to be somewhat creative, but here’s the story.

Creating My First Blog

I have adored writing since I was younger. I decided to take my love of writing and create a blog a few years ago on WordPress. I wanted to share my experiences and hopefully help the world. It was a dream come true!

My first blog was on WordPress and then a few months ago I decided to expand and use Medium as well! I truly love being able to blog and having two amazing platforms that allow me to do so.

As with most new things, I tend to do a lot of research beforehand. I would research anything, and everything related to blogging so that I could gain as much knowledge and understanding as possible.

There was so much to do and to think of, it was a lot to take in, but very exciting nonetheless. The first step was coming up with a name!

Days Went By

I kept a notepad handy and wrote down any names that I could think of. I thought long and hard, I had a very long list of possible names.

I remember reading about a tip online to have a name that people could easily remember and one that is related to writing, for easy recognition and I took that a little too literally! I laugh at it now.

My first name starts with a “J.” I’ve been mistaken for a male more times than I can count, I think because people think of “Jay.” I am a female and although I currently write anonymously, I may change that in the future. We shall see!

I long to change my name into something more special and unique, but it has been with me for a while now and it doesn’t feel right to make that change. It would feel like I was starting over. I suppose I will have to learn to live with it and hopefully one day embrace the name. It’s not likely that I will embrace it, but I can try!

Share with Us!

I know some people use chosen words, pen names, and their actual names. How did you come up with your blogging name? I would love to hear your stories!