enCouragingBliss: Taking Your Real Work Seriously

I have a Confession. Ready?

Until about three weeks ago, I have not taken blisschick very seriously.

I have been blogging for about one year and four months and this is post 513, so you might think that my confession is a bit of a lie. How could someone who doesn't take blogging seriously post so damn much?

And my readership is fantastic for someone who has "not taken this seriously." Though, yes, I have worked on that, but not with my full, Wild Woman powers.

If I weren't taking my blog seriously for these 500 and some posts, then what the hell was I doing?

When I started blogging, I told myself it was "Warm Up Writing." "Exercise Writing Muscles" kind of writing.

Because here's another confession: I only think people who write novels are Real Writers. Nonfiction? Whatev.

So I have put myself in this very tight box: If I Do Not Publish Fiction, I Am A Failed Writer.

And yet...and yet...there are so many "and yet's," are there not?

And yet, people really respond to my nonfiction writing.

And yet, nonfiction comes out of me so easily without the agony and anxiety of fiction. (DO NOT read this as me giving up on Fiction; NO WAY. I have a complete manuscript literally on the table behind me.)

And yet, I have so many folders filled with nonfiction book ideas that, unless I turn into some crazy ass obsessive writer like Joyce Carol Oates or Agatha Christie, I would need, like TEN lifetimes to finish that work.

The result of putting myself in this box has been that I am constantly feeling a bit dissatisfied with my creative life, because though blogging was meant to be warm-up, I'm not getting to the full workout, the novel writing, that I intended.

So I judge myself for that. Every day. Every minute of every day.

I feel scattered. My energy is all over the place. And unless energy is focused, it isn't really good for much.

It can be focused in multiple directions over the course of days and weeks, but it must be focused.

Marcy noticed all of this, of course, and told me, about two weeks ago, that we were going on a Beer Date/Meeting to talk about all the projects that I felt like I was juggling.

"Felt like" is key here.

During this meeting, it became apparent that all of my Excitement was around this blog and the concept of blisschick and where I could take it.

It became VERY apparent. I glowed and squealed and my hands fluttered around my body like the wings of a Hummingbird -- a Hummingbird on Crack. (My hands always move, a lot, so this was ever more!)

And with the help of Marcy, I came to see that my attachment to the idea of Novel Writer was holding me back from something potentially life-altering. An Amazing Adventure. If I would just allow it.

Now, after the Confession comes the Announcement.

Announcement to the Universe, to my Readers, to Our Lady of Guadalupe (for good measure):

I now take Blisschick totally seriously.
For a minimum of six months,
Blisschick is officially my All-Consuming Work.

And wow. As soon as I acknowledged that? Stuff started happening.

Including Something Incredible that I will announce early next week.

For enCouraging Bliss this week, here's what I want you to consider:

Is there a calling that is just screaming for your attention but you are covering your ears and humming because Ideas of Yourself are holding you back?

What might happen if you uncovered your ears and listened?


(Photo & Text Copyright: Christine C. Reed, blisschick.net, 2009)