Keep Showing Up, Come What May
Today is the 1st anniversary of this “Conscious Writing for Creative Living” blog and I’m celebrating a whole year of writing weekly posts without missing a single one and enjoying the process!
It feels creatively enriching to write on subjects I feel genuinely inspired by and deeply rewarding when readers make comments which indicate that my slightly quirky ideas are timely and well-received.
Creative Challenge
I love the freedom as well as the creative challenge of selecting a topic by following my intuition and opening my heart to pick up the golden thread of an idea that feels current, relevant and alive.
In fact my enthusiasm for writing these short snippets on a regular basis has expanded significantly as I’ve found my flow and settled into what feels like a natural rhythm of Friday morning focus on the blog.
Unanswered Questions
However, when I first started I was full of doubt, uncertainty and an abundance of unanswered questions.
What if no one was interested in my ideas?
Would I run out of things to say?
What style would work best – for me and my readers?
What if no one made any comments?
How would I keep it fresh, vibrant and consistent given all of my other commitments?
A Different Approach
Despite being a published author with two books under my belt, I knew that this needed a different approach.
Yet I had no idea how to find a way forwards that was aligned with my inner truth and genuinely valuable for you as a reader.
Come What May
Fortunately I was able to draw on one of the lessons I’ve learned from fifteen years of forging my own path in the world; to keep showing up, come what may.
Naturally this is an extension of my highest priority which is to remain conscious and present to all that is, and to express my deepest calling authentically and joyfully to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
With this as my default setting, it’s been possible for me to trust the unfolding dream and show up to write – and publish – my weekly posts despite the doubts and even when it’s felt distinctly uncomfortable to do so!
Genuine Commitment
What I’ve discovered is that the more I keep showing up to write no matter what, the easier it is to repeat the process each and every week.
That doesn’t mean it’s effortless and without any requirement for genuine commitment.
Yet given that it is an aspect of my life and work that does feel truly significant right now, I am committed to making it a reality and deepening into what I’ve learned as the best way to do so.
Follow Your Bliss
That means I’m following my bliss and writing what I’m here to write and share with you at this particular moment in time.
And I’ll keep showing up, come what may.
How about you?
In what areas of your life and work do you know that you need to keep showing up, come what may? Please share your reaction and comments below. Thank you!
Congratulations on the first anniversary of your blog! I enjoy reading your weekly posts, and have found them inspiring. They help to remind me that by showing up, even with no idea what to write, inspiration will follow. Many thanks for keeping me on track as a writer.
Thank you Jeanine! It’s lovely to hear that you enjoy my posts and that they remind you to keep showing up and stay on track. Yes, inspiration is often just waiting for the right conditions to arrive and showing up regularly ticks one of the major boxes as far as that is concerned.
Wow! What an accomplishment, Julia. You truly are an inspiration. I am a writer who sometimes find it difficult to show up simply because my life is too busy. I’ve just completed a long process of creating the audio version of my book; I’ve done some work toward starting my next book and I want to do a blog. I will be remembering your lesson~~ to keep showing up, no matter what.
Thanks Helen; I hadn’t really thought of it as an accomplishment but I guess you’re right! I do understand that life so often gets in the way and yet it’s all a question of priorities isn’t it? Congratulations on creating the audio version of your book which is a real accomplishment and I wish you well with the new writing projects you have in mind. If you keep showing up, they will come to fruition. Enjoy!
Thank you, Julia, for your year of weekly posts. I enjoy reading your blogs. I find your writing ideas to be concise, simple in a graceful way and stimulating.
THANK YOU FOR REINFORCING THE THOUGHTS AND WAYS OF WRITING
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My question to you: are you writing every day?
My pleasure Roe; thank you for your comments which I always enjoy reading 🙂 I very much appreciate you sharing your experience of my writing and love the words you’ve chosen.
In response to your question, yes and no.
I’m not working on a project (like a book) at the moment that requires daily writing and my current journaling practice is weekly. However, I do write something every day for one reason or another and have spent many years journaling daily so have reached a point where my writing “muscles” are sufficiently toned to follow a more spacious rhythm.
I also know that when the moment comes for me to return to focused daily writing, I have the capacity from all that I am writing now to dive into that rhythm effortlessly once I clear the space in my diary and when I have a reason to do so!
Congratulations!! You are an inspiration. What I will take from your post is keep showing up EVEN when I have self doubt.
Thank you Angela. Yes, it’s even more important to remember this when you’re feeling self-doubt. Every time you show up to write despite the doubt, you dissolve a little more of the power the doubts have to stop you writing. Keep showing up, come what may 🙂
Congratulations on your one year anniversary and Thank you Julia for reminding me of this very simple fact, “keep showing up, come what may” nothing gets done without showing up. This year has also been a commitment year for me and I’ve shown up mostly every week and published my blog post, and that felt so great, however, I have to admit there were a few weeks I didn’t show up and do the work. Love your blog. thank you.
Thank you Masha. It’s so true that nothing gets done without showing up! Huge congratulations on having shown up to write your blog too. Most of the time is better than not at all! And I love the fact that you love my blog. Thank you for sharing that; it’s brought a huge smile to my heart 🙂
Thank you Julia. You are always an inspiration.
Thank you Daphne; and likewise!
Thanks Julia, as you say, the thing is just to keep turning up – in my case at 6am, and ‘the muse’ will turn up too. We’ve just got to keep at it.
Lots of love, Ian.
Hi Ian, I’m glad to hear that you’re showing up to meet your muse at 6am still – good for you! Keep it going; to completion and beyond 🙂
Your Blogs are excellent, julia. They provide powerful advice that goes right to what generates good creative OUTPUT. I print each one out and put it into a Julia’s advice binder that is now a most effective source of productivity. congratulations – and please keep showing up !! Have a very good yuletide and new year. peter
Thank you Peter, that’s wonderful to hear. I love the fact that you’re printing them out to keep in a binder (I do the same actually as I like having hard copies available). I certainly will keep showing up! Thank you for your Yuletide and NY wishes which I return to you and I’ll look forward to continuing our connection in 2018. Julia
‘Keep showing up, come what may’ – it’s a beautiful MAntra julia.
Thank you for always INSpiring me xx
Hello Louise, lovely to hear from you and thank you for your heartwarming comment. I hadn’t thought of it as a mantra till now but actually you’re right, it does work as one! May it continue to inspire your on-going path x