My Story:
So much of what I do is invisible. I invest in things that cannot be seen. That gets undone within hours or days. The quiet soul work that happens between me and God cannot be seen. Homeschooling is a daily investment that will take years for the results to be seen. The house is always in a state of getting dirty again. The animals always need something.
[I talk about this more in this article: Why Decluttering Clears My Mind.]
Sometimes I begin to believe the lie that what I am investing in is not actually significant. That it has no worth because I am not making an income and contributing to the family finances. The truth is that we have made sacrifices for this lifestyle so that I can make these invisible investments into our home, our kids, our family life. I keep this family grounded, happily fed, running smoothly, and organized. I am an important team member that holds us all together.
I saw Rachel Carmen at the AFHE Homeschool Convention in 2016. She was dynamic, full of practical ideas, and she spoke with authority and grace. In one of her talks she shared a story about being asked for her resume. The big hairy question was “Who are you and what have you been doing the last 10 years??”.
Her response was so confident and unashamed. She said, “I’ve been home, raising my children, reading tons of books, listening to God, and gathering all I need to share to be ready to share with you. I have been doing all the hard work of preparation so that you can benefit from those years.”
This was a pivotal moment for me.
I realized that the work I was doing right now that was unseen and invisible was preparation. I didn’t know at 2016 what my next steps were but deeply understood that I was in a season of important work.
So I shifted my focus from feeling forgotten to doing my job well. I took notes, learned, read stacks and stacks of books, and paid attention to the lessons God was teaching me. I made a ton of mistakes and learned a lot of things the hard way. I also began to see gaps in resources and information for homemakers like me. Maybe I do have something I could share….
Wanting to Write a Blog
I have felt pulled to write and share for years. Every time I have started to gather information and start making progress something has stalled me out. Either my life was too busy, full of too many commitments, or the inspiration would only last in snippets.
So, I began my stockpiling process. When an idea would come to me I would capture it in Evernote or in my writing notebook. For 2 years I just gathered article ideas, paragraphs of thoughts that came together, and strange journal entries with practical bullet-point lists.
What I was doing was a process called “Capture” from David Allen’s GTD. I had no idea where it would lead.
[Here is more on that process: My Messy Drafts & Capturing Ideas]
I have always felt fulfilled by the process of getting it out on paper or in a text document. I still do. Capturing a flow of ideas (in the moment that I am thinking them) is one of my favorite things about writing. It is also the most elusive and can be a tricky process. Those 2 years were a valuable time of capturing ideas, letting things grow, gathering information, and reading more books. Stacks of books…📖
Wherever you are in the writing process, that is the place where you need to be right now. There is no perfect time table or specific schedule to follow.
Starting From Where I Am
I have felt guilty for not starting “official writing” sooner. But really that is so silly. I am not on anyone else’s timetable. I am not on a schedule that I have to follow. I am writing for myself, at my own pace, when it works for me.
Do not be ashamed of where you are right now. If you want things to change, look at what you are not happy with, and make small steps to get to a different place.
Being a beginner is hard. Writing is my new beginning. If I look back I can see parts of my life that are characterized by times of writing. But I have not identified myself as a writer until last year.
It is a big learning curve and I feel exposed. I am learning things that others have known for a long time and skills that my own high schooler has mastered already. It is hard to share when you are in the transition of something. Hard to be vulnerable when you are in the middle and you do not know how things will turn out. This blog is that place for me. It is my honest sharing, with the skills I have now, with my own hard-earned stories and lessons.
I struggle with transitions. Learning something new and then applying it in my own way takes time and a lot of quiet for me to process all the parts. I had several people come alongside me and walk me through this time. They were encouraging and life-giving. I hope to do that for you. Here are some practical ways forward that worked for me.
Choose one thing to work on and make small steps forward:
What kind of writer are you? – Plotting, Pantsing & Progress Trackers
How do you capture ideas? – My Messy Drafts & Capturing Ideas
Do you write fiction? – Resources for Fiction Writers
Writing can be complicated. – The Writing Process Can Be Messy
[Photo by Major Tom Agency on Unsplash]
Making My Own Path
Putting my voice out there in a world that is so very divisive and mean has kept me from writing for years. But I will no longer be quiet for the sake of peace. (I am an Enneagram 9 and peace is in my bones.) Instead, I will strive for a new way. I care for my readers for who they are and where they are right now.
I decided to write from a place of sharing my story and what has worked for me. To help those in the place I was 5 or 10 years ago. (Or maybe even last week.) To share what I have learned from reflection, counseling, comparing ideas from my reading, and making lots of mistakes. Not because it is “the best way” or “the only way”, but because I see so much hurting and I want to help. Maybe if I share what works for me, it will work for someone else too.
I decided to stop waiting for perfection with my writing and just move forward with what I have to offer. And I hope that you join me. The world would be so much better if we could help each other more. I would love to hear what works for you in your home, in your routines, and what you have learned in the past 10 years. Your perspective and your experiences matter.
What do you want to share with your writing?
How do you want to impact the world with your words?
What kinds of writing matter to you?
I hope that you feel welcomed here. That you show up as you are, wherever you are, ready to stand alongside me as a friend. Wherever you are in your writing life, you are not alone.
Ideas, prompting from our intuition, and God’s quiet voice can not live with criticism and jealousy. We will not let judgment be here. Growth dies in a place where we look at each other with the side-eye or our noses high.
Know that I am totally rooting for you. Calling yourself a writer can be freeing, scary, and wonderful. As with any calling, it comes with expectations and questions from others. But I believe you get to define those and move forward as yourself.
Gather your resources, let the work of preparation take its time, and keep taking notes! It will all come together and be worth it!
💙 Wishing you the best! – April
Photo by Major Tom Agency and others on Unsplash