Stepping Out Challenge - Day 18 - Writing Pt 2

Welcome to today's post, I am taking part in a 31 day blog challenge where I post everyday in October.  I love creating challenges for myself and joining ones by others.  My challenge for the rest of the month is to reflect on some of the series I created for myself and inspiration that I have taken away.

Listen to the Podcast

Today I am going to be talking about Part 2 of my writing challenge  

Part 2 – Welcome back to the Blog post

Yesterday I shared about having an idea to do a writing challenge, it was a way to take a step without having to commit to writing say a book without having done one before and I looked for ways that I could start small making the outcome something that was achievable for a newbie like me.  Even before I started I realized that if I was going to make it a more pleasant ride I would have to have a few things in place that would keep me going when the 'going got tough'! 

Journal in the Making

I actually do write all the time, for my journal and blog - but that is different, I make loads of lists, things that I want to try out or create, but that doesn't make you a 'real writer' does it!  I looked though my journal supplies to find something that I would like to write in as that makes a big difference and I came across a list that I had done in a notebook and had just left for the ‘One day I will get to it pile’.

What had happened was many years ago I had toyed with the idea of illustrating my own children’s stories but as I say just toyed with the idea. I hadn’t written any stories but I thought that if I came up with the titles then I could write the stories when I had the time. On each page of the notebook I had written the title of potential story, I had about 30 in total come to mind that I would later try and work on.  I then put the book away and thought nothing of it for a good while (years).

So further down the line when I was looking for a note book to do my challenge in I stumbled across the book with all the titles, and they then became my spring board for the 100 word challenge. I could write a story or a poem from the title, just write one of the hardest parts had been done.  There were some days were I found it painful, I couldn’t think of what to write but I had a routine, before I was going to do anything else I had to do the 100 word challenge, so I sat there and remembered just how little 100 words was and willed myself to squeeze them out, they came and I breathed a sigh as the challenge for that day had been completed. 

What really surprised me was that there were other days where I wrote and didn’t want to stop, it was like there was an imaginary word fountain coming out of the pen and it just moved effortlessly across the page, I ended up some days with 2000 words and more. I was amazed and appreciated that I had shown myself another thing that I could do if I set my mind to it.

I felt relieved!

In all I wrote 14 short stories and several poems with a total of 17,177 words, I thought of what I could do if I upped my minimum word count. Three of the stories I really love and have been planning to revisit the illustration idea when I have some more time. In the past I felt insecure about my writing but I there are so many different and unique styles of writing and someone out there will find my words inspiring, and the words will speak to them as if it is written with them in mind, unique. 

I don’t have to be an acclaimed writer to take out my pen and write or have a best seller to publish a book. We all have something in us that will inspire another person. There is room for us all and so I write, I paint, photograph, share - I create. 

I didn’t know that I had it in me and the proof for me was in the word count.  Think about the amazing things you do when put your mind to it. I think I need to create a new challenge for myself and get each of the stories complete – who is for maybe trying to get a book self-published by the end of the year?

What about you, what are you thinking of trying that will take you to another level an out of your comfort zone, I would love to hear about it.

Tomorrow I will share the Yet another spontaneous challenge called - Clearing the Clutter Challenge.  I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.  Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life. 

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Ps:  If you are on a budget and would like to check out some  supplies/books at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:

Adorn it - bit.ly/AdorAT18 

Dollar Tree - bit.ly/DolAT18 

Blick - bit.ly/Blick18 

Book Outlet - bit.ly/BOOKAT18 

Stampington - bit.ly/STAAT18 

C& T Publishing - bit.ly/CNTPAT18 

Dover - bit.ly/DOVPAT18 

Craftsy Kits - bit.ly/CrafAT18 

Amazon Store - 

www.amazon.com/shop/realityarts

Stepping Out Challenge - Day 17 - Writing Challenge

Welcome to today's post, I am taking part in a 31 day blog challenge where I post everyday in October.  I love creating challenges for myself and joining ones by others.  My challenge for the rest of the month is to reflect on some of the series I created for myself and inspiration that I have taken away.

Listen to the Podcast

Today I am going to be talking about a Writing Challenge that I gave myself.

Try something new for 30 days - Writing Challenge

I believe if you want to try something new to see if you really like it or to learn a new skill you can’t just do it once or twice and really know if it is for you but you have to give it a real go step outside your comfort zone and put effort into it, then you can look back and make better informed decisions.

We usually want to make changes at the New Year, feeling that we get a chance to do things over. We make promises of change and determination – it is going to be different this time we tell ourselves and for the first few days we are giddy with the excitement of change. How many resolutions have you made in the past that you actually kept? How many things fell by the wayside?

One year I signed up for a 2 year gym membership – signed the dotted line, and for what ever reason, didn’t look back – I mean literally, I went 4 times and then had to experience a very expensive non-commitment, I don't know what I was thinking as the direct debits came out of my bank account – I could have gone on several holidays!

That was me at the time, I was good at making resolutions, I would make 5 grand resolutions and at the very far side of the back of my mind I knew I wouldn’t keep them, only to feel bad about myself for giving up on myself. I would then go through the rest of the year with the ‘Self-Critic’ saying ‘see, I knew you couldn’t do it’ and laughing it off in the ‘critic corner’ - some of you know the one down Despondent Street at the junction of Loathsome Lane and Apathy Avenue. 

One year I heard about the writing challenge the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) that happens every year from the 1st to the 30th November.  You end up write a book in the month of November. I began to wonder what I could produce by writing every day. At that period in my life I wasn’t necessarily eager to write a book, I wasn’t sure what I would even say. I decided to come to a compromise, I would write, yes, but I would tailor the challenge to fit my needs and meet me where I was while allowing me to push past the minimum requirement. I reckoned that if I was able to do more it would be a bonus. 

I set about ‘thinking about writing’ I would commit to writing 100 words each day. The Self Critic came on board in the corner and started ridiculing me for ‘only’ writing 100 words each day, but I told her I wasn’t a writer or trying to be one, I would just see where it led to, and then I stalled. The November came and went and I still thought about it doing the writing challenge and as I got to the end of November I wondered if just starting would be the right thing for me. 

I wasn’t looking to produce anything fancy in the end like a 50,000 word manuscript. I wanted to write, with no other constraints, just to get the practice in. I didn’t want to make it like my Journal that I do every day but I wanted to have a loose theme and see if I could discipline myself to do something that wasn’t a habit for me. 

Art Journal - Amanda Trought

Whilst I was willing to step out of my comfort zone, be flexible and try and enjoy the journey and I began to understand that there were a few things that needed to put in place to make it a productive time. I wanted to have something start me off something to guide me, and not just have the blank page taunting me, this was quite daunting and I thought that if I felt this way before the challenge then how was it going to be for the next 31 days - it was going to be a rough ride.

As I say, the first few days would have been quite hard, the novelty of doing a writing challenge, and thinking about writing anything other than a journal had worn off, but I managed to come up with an idea that worked for me

Check back tomorrow to see how I overcame the initial block stage

How do you push yourself past your point of comfort and what are the things that you have learnt about your journey?

Tomorrow I will share the second part from my Writing Challenge.  I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.  Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life. 

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Ps:  If you are on a budget and would like to check out some supplies/books at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:

Adorn it - http://bit.ly/AdorAT18

Dollar Tree - http://bit.ly/DolAT18

Blick - http://bit.ly/Blick18

Book Outlet - http://bit.ly/BOOKAT18

Stampington - http://bit.ly/STAAT18

C& T Publishing -  http://bit.ly/CNTPAT18

Dover - http://bit.ly/DOVPAT18

Craftsy Kits - http://bit.ly/CrafAT18

Amazon Store -  https://www.amazon.com/shop/realityarts

Dwelling in the desert and images - I just felt like writing....

I felt like writing a piece, it is called 'Dwelling in the Desert'.  I would like to write more often, and plan to try and make a practice of it. I have included some of my past art work, I hope you like it, leave me a comment let me know what you think, if you resonate with the piece.

Dwelling in the Desert

How is it that thoughts can take hold of you - from just a few words your world can be turned upside down.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

The attentiveness wrapped in tender words is what did it in the guise of a stream.  It is now understandable that when you get stuck in the desert for so long, in a parched and dry land where everything seems withered you loose a piece of yourself, ever so slowly until you look in the mirror and don't even recognize your reflection.  Every now and then in what seems like a cycle a stream appears.  You've been parched for so long you wonder if you should drink, laugh, wet your feet or totally ignore it, but the very idea of the stream brings hope.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

Every time you look at the stream it reminds you of those unfulfilled dreams, and you are amazed at how you got into the position.  You never thought that you would be surrounded by dry land in the desert for so long and just got used to it, the days rolled weeks, months and then the years and then you looked back and things had changed, you had changed and you were just there.  Your throat aches from crying and calling out "Why".

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

Now the sound of the stream as it bubbles over the rocks, caressing the tips of the trees that suddenly gather along its path.  It brings new life, fresh eyes, new ways of thinking and as quickly as the stream appears there is a refreshing to your soul and you are lost in your confusion, feeling guilty, wanting to dip in the stream, and lose yourself, scared that it is only a disguise and the thirst will still remain.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

You didn't realize that you were thirsty until you noticed the stream.  Some say that if you drink from the stream you will never be able to go back, some say a new life awaits.  As you walked along the stream bed, it looks so inviting, enticing, you long to laugh again and feel at ease.  Flowing over the rocks droplets of water rise up and touches your face, absorbed in your skin your senses are heightened as you are reminded of where and who you are.

Mixed media art - Amanda Trought

Confusion now spills into your mind, your heart beating fast.

Stop talking, let there be silence you say, your thoughts needing to be quiet, banishing them to the barren part of your mind so that you can be still, you want your thoughts to be ordered to stop what seems like madness, or is it just your mind playing tricks of yearning from another dimension.

You wait, confusion tries to come back from the banished regions of your mind to taunt you again and you are tempted to get closer to the stream, perhaps you'll just gaze for a while.  You tell yourself that your perspective has changed, and that you'll be stronger, and if you look through squinted eyes perhaps the desert isn't so bad, the years still passing and you can see that the desert has a different cloud formation going on, perhaps there is change ahead, perhaps it isn't enough!

Quotes Wednesday

A combination of quotes and photography...see where creativity and inspiration takes you!

Each week on my Creative Writing WordPress site I share a edited photograph that I have taken along with a quote I find inspiring.  I have grown to love taking photographs and whenever I can I make sure that I have my camera handy. The images have been either on my day to day, or when I have been able to take some time out and go on holiday. 

I thought that I would do something similarly here too, as a way to inspire and encourage, we come across so many interesting quotes.  Why not stop by my WordPress blog when you get a chance. Here are a few of the images and quotes I shared

Photograph - Amanda Trought, Quote - Jim Rohn

 The major value in life is not what you get.  The major value in life is what you become - Jim Rohn

Photograph - Amanda Trought, Quote - John Maxwell

 A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them - John Maxwell

Photograph - Amanda Trought, Quote - Gandhi

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary - Gandhi

I will be posting different set of quotes and images to here and at some point you will be able to purchase a print on my Society 6 site.