Writing the Com*Post usually starts with feeling into what’s coming up the creative channel. What I mean by creative channel is this: an imaginary deep and quiet well that lives in the center of my body that sends up ideas in the form of a splashy swell or a wave of water. Someday, I’d like to look even deeper into the metaphor of creativity feeling like water (an extension of this work, maybe?).
Some days, the creative channel sends up a word, other times its several words that I’ve been ruminating on, and sometimes it might be an image.
And other days, like today, the well is quiet. It sends up nothing, not even a drop. Or maybe it sends up tiny sprinkles, but they don’t make sense together, so I miss the offering.
The beginning of this year has felt nebulous and lethargic, and truth be told, I’m resisting this slowness (even though I’d found a way to embrace it just a few weeks ago). I want to give my attention to growing things, but can’t find the energy or the place to begin.
So here is a short list of what I’m pondering and what’s tapping at the edges of my attention at the beginning of the year, the seeds that might grow into something more:
Finding 4-6 things to sell this year. Tangent: I hate the word sell. I want to pretend like I’m over here just writing and making photos and sharing and crossing my fingers something will come out of it, but capitalism is still the system we have here in 2023, and I’m still making my peace with it. One of the questions I’m sitting with this year is how to heal my relationship to selling and money. It makes sense then that clarifying the container for the first thing I want to make/sell is the work that I’m struggling to find the energy for.
I was listening to this podcast and the idea that nothing is more or less important than anything else might be a tool I want to play with this year. I’m an over-preparer, full stop. And if there’s less stress and anxiety to be had by treating all commitments with equal importance – that I can show up as myself and that’s enough no matter what – that’s something that might help me find some ease. Maybe. Until I find the next idea that will change my life.
My version of a Dry January would look like a screen detox – less time reading news and celebrity gossip and more time reading books and daily time for art and creativity. I like this idea, but haven’t put anything in place to make it happen yet. Except buy a reverse coloring book. On the list of creative activities I’d like to try this year: painting with earth pigments, natural dying, adventures in quilting, painting water color totems.
If making photos is on your list of things you’re thinking about for this year but you haven’t found the way to get started, get in touch!
We’ll make a plan for creating the most beautiful photos you can imagine.
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase via the link, I may make a small commission. Thank you for supporting this work!