Why do you write?
Does it bring you joy?
Today’s blog post was going to be about something else entirely. It was going to be about tips to create your own supportive writing rituals and I promise that I will publish that post later in the week. However, last night while I was reading in the tub (something that I try to do every night – a little luxury to my day) this post came to me.
Over the holiday break I read “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. After reading the book I delved right into a marathon tidying session and it was, and still is Magic. For those of you who haven’t read, or heard of the book, the premise is this:
You must work through your belongings one category at a time and ask yourself if each piece brings you joy. If not, you get rid of it. You have to physically touch each piece. So yes, you start with a mountain of clothing in the middle of your floor and you touch each piece and ask yourself that important question – does this bring me joy?
Sometimes there’s great power in simplicity. If you haven’t read the book, consider checking it out at your library.
At any rate…she recently published a follow-up book that is a visual guide so that was what I was reading in the tub when my epiphany hit me.
Does my current career as a ghostwriter bring me joy?
No. I’m grateful for what it does do, pay the bills, and I’m good at it, but my passions and interests have moved on.
But I already knew that. It’s why I’m going to Nursing school because that does bring me joy and this time next year I will be a nurse (and a romance writer, because that does still bring me tremendous joy.)
So…back to you…
Does writing bring you joy?
If not, is it time to let it go?
If YES, then what can you do right now, today, to bring more JOY into your life?
ps…I also get tremendous joy from writing books that are designed to help other romance writers achieve their goals and express their passions. It’s why I wrote 365 Affirmations for Romance Writers and it’s the reason 1001 Romance Story Starters came to be. It’s also why Sterling Publishing reached out to me to write 100 Writing Prompts for Romance Writers. I’m so grateful to be able to share my joy with you and I hope that it helps you share your joy with others.