As part of the #quietwriting hashtag and Instagram Challenge, we shift now to looking at work in progress – being one and creating one.
Use the #quietwriting hashtag across platforms – for the challenge and beyond – as a way to create, connect and link us together on our ongoing journey to draft, process, create, make space for writing and other creativity and otherwise live a wholehearted creative life. Read on to discover more and connect with creative others about being a work in progress.
Being a work in progress
Work in progress is a key theme for me on many levels. Firstly, I am a work in progress. I’ve shifted over the past two years from a career as a leader, formerly teacher, in the government adult vocational education sector to being a life coach and writer.
These two years have been a time of immense personal growth and a deep journey into self-leadership at a time of transition. I’ve had to pretty well rewrite my whole identity: what defines me, how I spend my days, how I earn income, the work I do.
I listen to many podcasts and I often hear women talk of feeling old in their early 30’s in this age of creative entrepreneurship. They often seem to compare themselves with younger women and their journey; something I know is easy to do. I’ve found myself thinking, “I wish I’d started this journey 20 years earlier instead of at age 55”.
But the truth is you couldn’t have done this work in this way 20 years ago. The technology just wasn’t available in the way that it is now. Work as I do it now as an online life coach and personality type practitioner was not possible in this form. Further, all the lessons I’ve learnt over time and my body of work brings me to where I am now, with my unique learning, passions, skills and experience. There’s simply no benefit in focusing on age or lost opportunities, only on the future.
So I accept myself as a work in progress now, a creative entrepreneur, a solopreneur, moving through a major life transition, learning and sharing the self-leadership skills I have gathered over this time.
Wholehearted – my work in progress
As I have moved through this time, my focus has been on the twin goals of writing and life coaching. Underpinning these two main goals are the skills of becoming a personality type practitioner and a tarot reader. These are the pieces that have held my self-leadership journey together over the past two years. Each day, I’ve worked on one or the other, or all of them, in a kind of mosaic, piecing myself together through this time.
As I’ve moved through this time, I’ve documented the journey and my reflections. In November 2017, I focused via NaNoWriMo on getting a significant chunk of work done (50,000 words in one month) on my book draft. I recently finished the first draft. It is around 84,000 words about my journey, part-memoir and part self-leadership experiences, to share with others in transition to guide their journey.
Having just finished the first draft, I printed it off to be able to see it and review it. I read Joanna Penn’s How to Write Non-fiction for support as I move through this ‘work in progress’ process. A recent writing and yoga retreat in Hoi An, Vietnam with Kerstin Pilz helped me connect with my writing voice and story again. The manuscript is still resting in a process that seems necessary before I move back to edit it.
Being a work in progress
The process of reviewing my progress on my two year transition journey and also working on my manuscript have all helped me feel like a work in progress. All that work expended into this draft and version of me and my emerging book. My body of work there in the pages and days of my life and the process of editing and reviewing to finetune words, decisions, pathways, in process as always.
How about you?
- Are you feeling like a work in progress right now?
- Have you been through major life transitions and how have you felt about that?
- What works in progress are you in the middle of creating?
- What have they taught you about your skills, knowledge and experience?
- If you’d like to be more in progress, what would you like to be creating?
- What shape does it look like?
- What difference would it make in your life to create this work?
- How does creative work interact with you and your own feeling of being in process?
Love to hear your thoughts and see any images via Instagram – just use the hashtag #quietwriting for the challenge or anytime so we can connect with you. Or share your thoughts in the comments here or on Facebook.
Quiet connections via #quietwriting
So I welcome your comments here or on social media. I look forward to seeing #quietwriting images that share thoughts and open up dialogue on quiet in your life. Just share an image on Instagram using the tag #quietwriting and follow the prompts each day for ideas. Here are the prompts:
And the #quietwriting hashtag will continue beyond the week of the challenge, so use it anytime to create and connect. You can learn more here about #quietwriting
Just a reminder of the key points:
- Quiet Writing is about the strength that comes from working steadily and without fanfare in writing and other spheres to create, coalesce, influence and connect.
- Hashtags are such a fabulous way to gather, finding our creative kindred souls and inspiration online.
- On Instagram, you can now follow hashtags as well as individual profiles. So follow #quietwriting now and into the future to connect around creativity and your quiet work, writing and making art.
- You can head on over to the #quietwriting hashtag on Instagram or Facebook or other social media anytime and see what’s popping up.
- You could also post on your own profile on Facebook as well using the hashtag.
- Often we write quietly, behind closed doors or in busy cafes, privately. Let’s shine a light behind the scenes and capture the process of writing and creativity in action, wherever we are.
Get on board with #quietwriting + the hashtag challenge!
These are just some ideas and they will evolve as we all contribute. It doesn’t have to be all about writing – it can be any form of creativity. Nor do you need to be an introvert; all of us need quiet writing time to get creative work done.
I’ll feature my favourite images from the tag here and on Instagram and Facebook so share your images for the chance to be featured!
So join the #quietwriting party and let us know what you are up to! Who knows what creative connections you might make to support you on your journey or inspire your next creation?
Welcome your comments and images to inspire and connect our creativity online as we progress our works in progress!
Keep in touch & free ebook on the ’36 Books that Shaped my Story’
You can work with me to help reset your creativity and wholehearted self-leadership. Free 30-45 minute coaching consults chats are available so please get in touch at terri@quietwriting.com to talk further. I’d love to be a guide to help you create with spirit and heart in your own unique way. Consults available now for an October coaching start!
You can download my free 94-page ebook on the 36 Books that Shaped my Story – just sign up with your email address in the box to the right or below. You will also receive updates from Quiet Writing and its passions. This includes personality type, coaching, creativity, writing, tarot and other connections to help express your unique voice in the world.
Quiet Writing is on Facebook and Instagram – keep in touch and interact with the growing Quiet Writing community.
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You might also enjoy:
How knowing your authentic heart can make you shine
Your body of work: the greatest gift for transition to a bright new life
#quietwriting – growing creative community and connection
Practices and tools to support creative productivity, writing and mindset
Creative and connected – on the special value of self-leadership
