“How do you jump into the unknown?”- a question I’ve often asked myself.
Each time I’ve been at the crossroads, my instincts have come into play, nudging me to take the leap. Consequently, I’ve come to depend on them a great deal more as they have almost always guided me to the right outcomes. I’ve always thought through my choices and mulled over them in my own way. No rushing into, ever. That’s me.
That is also how my blog was born. Months of deliberation and then, one fine day, I was ready with my first piece of writing for the blog – a travel piece on Bylakuppe, a little known Tibetan settlement, close to Coorg in Karnataka. The joy of seeing it completed was indescribable. Over the next couple of weeks, I revelled in it with the excitement of a schoolgirl. Throughout the day, through all my chores, the one constant thought that kept me occupied was the blog. Every now and then, I sat down to tweak what I wrote. In the coming weeks, a few more pieces were ready.
I can clearly recall the thrill and excitement each time a post was published. The day I launched Soul Talk, it already had 11 posts! In time, I was already publishing at least twice a week and had few people with very encouraging comments telling me that they enjoyed going through the blog! Thus began my blogging journey one dull January morning in 2015.
Now, when I look back, in all honesty, I must admit that it hasn’t been without hiccups. With my blogging as much as life itself, I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs over the past year. A high period, followed by a low and then a slump, followed by a weak revival and then, picking up pace – the journey to self-discovery has meant that I have grown as a person too!
A little more than a year into it now, I no longer feel the intense pressure of having to turn up a piece to publish. I struggle the most when I’m juggling time especially when a handful of things are screaming for my attention and I’ve missed a submission deadline. Of course, a number of times, I’ve also been caught in the throes of a writer’s block. On the whole, I’ve been able to stick to a writing schedule and it no longer feels like an unknown territory, but a safe, familiar one. My ultimate luxury has been having days when I’ve had the peace and quiet to work uninterrupted, tapping away at my keyboard, writing my heart out, through the best part of the day!
Being comfortable isn’t a bad thing at all. But, being too comfortable can end up leading us to creative stagnation. Not a nice idea to end up resting on our laurels and then withdrawing into the comforting confines of a predictable routine.
And, this is where I’m coming to – Time has come to invite a bit of danger in and put oneself outside the comfort zone. I wish to let the feeling and experiences of not knowing help me find new creative ideas. One way I like to put myself into the writing danger zone is to tackle some of my own inhibitions that may be holding me back creatively. By pushing myself out into the uncharted waters, I intend to grow – as a person and a writer.
My resolution for 2016 has been to fill the everyday moments with more laughter, more music and more of the wonderful experiences that I’ve often thought of but not really pursued. Whether it is getting over my fear of speaking in front of large crowds, trying out a new genre of writing, experimenting with different means of tapping into my creative juices or being a little less cautious in experiencing life as it comes, I’m hoping these risks will lead me on to something new and different, something that will also leave a lasting impact on my writing.
Will it be easy? Nope. Worth it? Absolutely!
What are your goals as a writer this year and how are you set to achieve it?
What is/are the most difficult thing(s) that you have been able to overcome recently in your journey as a writer/blogger?
(This post was written for #MondayMusings on Everyday Gyaan)
Sounds like a great journey so far! My writing goals for this year were to write 15 minutes each day and to pitch to magazines. Unfortunately, so far, apart from the first two weeks of Jan, it hasn’t really gone to plan. That’s because I started a new job on 18th Jan and I’ve been flat out trying to get adjusted to it. I’m going to cut myself some slack and aim to do this after 3 months or so. Hoping I’d have settled in a bit more.
Yes, Sanch, but not without the initial hiccups! I was working flexi hours so time was not too tight and I was able to tap away at my keyboard to my hearts content! But, once I start my full time job, things will be more challenging. You know that you will need to give yourself a little time to get used to your new schedule, just don’t be too hard on yourself trying to do too many things. Take it easy and do relax once in a while…Best wishes for your writing goals…I look forward to your posts 🙂
I can always relate to such memoirs about the blogging journey. You know, blogging is not easy. You have to struggle to make a mark here. Sometimes I feel like I should just write and not bother about the statistics. But at other times, I feel like going out there and and make my readers view my opinions, to know whether they could relate to it. The main factor that decides the frequency and interest is my job and its unsteadiness. Otherwise I very much passionate about blogging.
I can totally understand your predicament, Maliny! Blogging is not an easy task at all. In fact, balancing it with other commitments – one’s regular job/work being of utmost priority, the stress of meeting deadlines is a task by itself. The writing is altogether another thing to tackle, so there you have quite a few juggling acts to do before one blogpost gets published! I struggle terribly on this juggling act and that’s usually when I just give up writing anything for a week or two before deciding to get back to the blogging. It is a solitary journey and a great deal of self-propelling is required to stick to it over a long period of time. Don’t you think so?
Indeed, Esha. I have given it up at times too, when work and studies took over both my time and mind. But then, I always keep coming back and I am grateful to myself for that. I dearly hope you don’t quit blogging entirely. You write so well and I would love to keep reading you:)
Thank you so so much Maliny for encouraging me through all this…you know, in all honesty, I have to tell you your words just made my day and reinstated my own belief that I should keep plodding on no matter what! We bloggers are comrades-in-arms and always there to support each other and THAT means so much to me 🙂
Stepping out of your comfort zones is a bit challenging initially. But when you do that and embrace the unfamiliar, you become stronger and more confident to reach higher levels of growth. Wishing you an exhilarating journey as you break the mold and achieve your goals this year, Esha 🙂
Thank you so much, Shilpa! I need all the good wishes of my fellow bloggers as I plan to brave the odds and know it will be one hell of a task to achieve! So glad to have known you through your lovely blog, Shilpa 🙂
Happy Blogging !!! Grateful for being connected …. 🙂
Thanks a lot Vasantha! yes, so glad to be connected 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
Wow that was an encouraging response for your blog. I have been blogging for years before realising that most of the time I was just plodding along. Last year I actually spent a whole load of money thinking that it would take my blog to another level. Sadly it hasn’t but this is a difficulty I over came – the ability to part with money. But I also realised that just parting with money is the easy part of blogging and am still wondering why it isn’t going places….
Thanks, all credit goes to my kind-hearted generous readers who read my posts and leave some wonderful comments for me to feel so positive. I am still struggling with improving the frequency of my posts, though! I too have been thinking of tweaking the blog to give it a new look.Guess, I ‘ll wait a little bit more before I do so 🙂
All I can say is “Go for it!” But then that’s what you are already doing:) You have a lovely writing style that reaches out to your readers….comes through as “Hey, I like this writer”.
Thank you so much, Lata!Really appreciate your words of encouragement. Writing is a very solitary activity so joining Write Tribe and meeting wonderful bloggers such as yourself is very inspiring 🙂