I wasn't writing and I felt sh*tty about it
Over this past summer, I stopped writing. I felt like I was forcing it. I had so many starts and stops on creative projects of my own that I got tired of thinking about them.
I was thinking about writing way more than I was actually writing.
And it sucked. As a copywriter, I was dedicating all my time to writing for others. I keep all my deadlines and put my client work first.
Which is great, until it’s not.
I had kept up with my weekly blog writing process, but a week into July and I was just so over it. I knew I’d be back, and that I simply needed a break. I needed to stop all the forcing.
For months, getting any words out for my own writing felt painful, slow, and tedious.
So I stopped.
The summer was a big lesson in surrendering. If I could sum up the summer in 3 words, they’d be:
Trust, surrender, allow.
The only reason I can talk about it now is that I’ve pushed through. And yes, I still believe that writer's block is BS and that the only way out is through.
I decided to press pause on blogging until the end of summer. Also, giving myself some grace because even though we moved states, got the kids situated, and kept up with my business writing, I hadn’t taken a breath.
When I finally learned how to trust what was coming up for me, I put blogging aside and instead focused on writing newsletters. Writing an email to the people who let me into their inboxes each week felt light and easy.
By taking the pressure off, I was able to find flow.
I wasn’t writing and I was feeling shitty about it.
Instead of continuing to feel shitty about it, in the work I did with my coach, (yes, coaches have coaches too), I got really clear on my personal and business values.
To align with those values, my writing had to go back to the top of the list. We agreed to commit 3 hours a week to my book projects. Yes, projects. I have three on the go because they’re all very different and require me to track real-life stories.
By putting my writing first, I’m telling my brain:
I am important
It’s safe to be seen
I show up and serve my clients better when I put myself and my values first
The work I do matters
There’s nothing in here that’s earth-moving. It’s all very simple, sit down to the page and do your writing.
And yet, it requires work.
It means pressing pause on consuming — courses, articles, podcasts — no more information!
Here’s what I did to put my writing first:
Blocked time on my calendar throughout the week
Staying accountable
Added it to my to-do list
Sending reports of my word count updates to my coach
Sometimes I write for an hour a week instead of the planned three. And I know that an hour a week is progress. And each week, all I can do is plan to write, carve out the time, sit down and make it happen.
The writing isn’t pretty. It’s a whole lot of shitty first draft writing. And that’s perfect.
A community for business owners who write
If you’re spending more time thinking about writing than actually writing, I’ve created a writing community just for you.
This is a special place for business owners who write.
You can choose feedback or no feedback.
Learn about the Unfussy Writing Community here.
