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Showing posts with label tara swiger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tara swiger. Show all posts

23 May 2016

Day 12: Five Lessons I've Learned from Writing Everyday

Back when I was young & creative, I used to constantly sketch.
Picture by Mark Congdon
(I think? Or whoever I was dating at the time)


When you've tasked yourself to write everyday, you quickly learn what your limitations are:

1. I am not good at schedules or deadlines because I am better at triaging situations that need my attention

Whether it's a client who needs input for her first craft fair or taking a night off to recharge, some things take precedence over writing words on time.

2. Even if I missed the deadline, I'll write the f*ckin' words anyway!

I'm super awesome at getting down on myself when I don't meet an arbitrary goal I've set.
I'm sure some of you are, too.


I suppose I'm feel rather enthusiastic lately!

Custom Elliott Smith shirt by my hubs.
We're thinkin' of sellin' em...

Email me if you want one!

One thing I really took away from podcast Episode 101 of "Explore Your Enthusiasm" with Tara Swiger was the actions we take after we don't meet our goals matter just as much, if not MORE, than meeting them in the first place. She breaks down a bunch of reasons why we may not have met our goals and ways to execute them anyway. (If you wanna listen, click here. There's also a free goal worksheet!)

When I walked around the neighborhood at night listening to that episode, I decided that goals are markers we want to reach. But without doing the work (if we just give up), we'll never get any closer.

So now I just write the damn words!

3. I have nuggets of wisdom in all of this profanity & people enjoy it.

The thing I'm hearing most in the feedback from this project so far is "I had no idea you were so funny!"

*dead pan stare*

... seriously, guys?

... like, seriously?

Ugh. Apparently, I need to talk to you more.

4. I need to work on my "22 minute episode" format.

The thing about slice of life posts is that it needs a beginning, a middle and an end with a moral or lesson. It's the reason sitcoms are so popular: they tackle an issue while telling funny stories that get resolved in 22 minutes.

If you couldn't tell, I'm not concise. I effing SUCK at getting to the point. I need pointers on getting point-y. Help?




5. It's not as hard as I thought. But I don't consider myself a blogger.

My friend, Andie, introduced me to another writer (professional columnist extraordinaire, Minerva Jayne) as a blogger. And while I do BLOG, I know being a blogger is a lot more work than just putting words on the Internet.

I still consider myself a quirky writer. Thoughts?!

I'm open to hearing what you think, internet.

If you're out there : WHAT SAY YOU?!?

12 May 2016

Day 1: Oh Balls - What Am I Getting Myself Into...


Today I start blogging daily because of this post and a hidden desire residing deep within me to share my #realtalk in a meaningful way. 


It occurs to me that I may have to do this in the few minutes it takes me to get to work, as that's the only chunk of time that I can semi-consistently set aside to write anything longer than 140 characters (and even THAT'S a stretch).

But my words will be out there, awesome-saucing somebody's brain nuggets.

I have this 5 month old boy & 38 year old husband that love me more than most people deserve to be loved, and yet, I feel this tremendous guilt every time I'm spend even a few minutes adoring them.

You guys are totally gonna bust my balls over this, right?

"It allllll goes by soooooo fast!!!" "They grow up and you'll never be able to experience this again." "They're so sweet at this age; soak it all in!"

*pulls giant UGGGHHH face*

Srsly, you guys - I KNOW! I promise that I know ALL of that. Thank you for your concern, but you don't know me.

Yet.

It's *because* of their existence that I feel compelled to create awesomeness. I have this need to fulfill what I feel is my true calling: helping others get set up for success.

Basically, I wanna be the Mary Poppins of creative start up efforts, but, y'know, BAD ASS!!!

(Not throwin' shade, Mary - just tellin' it how it be...)

So here I am again, with big dreams and shakin' knees cos it looks that everything is starting to fall into place.

Oh shit.

Now what?


Paralyzed with the fear of success for once (yeah, I know I've been aight before, but not at something I'm THIS excited about), I feel like a tiny overly giddy dog quietly wetting himself in a corner of the Internet.

Why I'm a male dog in a corner in my own example just goes to show how effed up this cat-lover's mind really is at the moment...

So, how is this fat nerd girl tacklin' her probs? Podcasts and library books, of course!!!


Tara Swiger's "Explore Your Enthusiasm" has been saving my ass for the last 6 weeks. I'm listening to episodes from last year and finding just as much joy in them as the brand new ones coming out every week.

In one of them where she recommends books for creative humans, she mentioned Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (who also happened to have penned one of my fave indie cookbooks that she co-authored with her great grandma... but that's another story).

I have decided that THIS book is it, especially since it wasn't even supposed to be checked in...

We'll see how it fares against my "never finishing any book ever" curse.

Love and junk,

- S
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