2015 is going to be a good year. A blasting off year. A year of following our north stars, our “true north” as some put it.
But what is our true north? For me it’s now more about being and less about doing, while infusing the doing with more being. Does that make any sense? I guess what I’m saying is that I’m trying to bring who I am, who I am becoming, and what I believe is important to live a rich life into my novels. That feels right and true to me so I’m listening to that. On the other hand, my picture books lately have been playful and pure fun. It’s a wonderful balance. I’m also reminding myself that it’s a journey because we never arrive at who we are; we’re always in a state of becoming. This means my work will continue to evolve in new and unexpected ways…if I let it.
Heady stuff, eh? But oh so exciting!
If you aren’t sure about your own north star, I highly recommend Finding Your Own North Star and Finding Your Way in a Wild New World: Reclaim Your True Nature to Create the Life You Want by Martha Beck. I’m also about to start her book, Steering by Starlight: The Science and Magic of Finding Your Destiny and would probably recommend that too. (Yes, I’m a bit of a Martha Beck groupie). But isn’t that a lovely title? Who doesn’t want to steer by starlight? And if magic is in the title, I’m all in. 🙂
Go ahead, ride your star!
I love the pic in my featured image so much. We’re riding the bold, bright creative star of new ideas, fresh beginnings, and the growth and insights that come from living a fully engaged life with all of its joys and challenges. The tail contains those experiences and life lessons that shape who we are in this moment, propelling us forward. Or we could look at the tail as all the stuff we’re leaving behind, the stuff that served us at some point, but doesn’t any longer.
Either way we see that tail, let’s not look back except to learn something that will make us better as people and creatives today.
Seize it. Ride it!
Thank you for an inspiring post, Denise! I love Martha Beck’s column in O magazine and her beautiful memoir Expecting Adam.
I’m kicking off the new year writing at least 30 minutes daily and it feel great. Grand plans for flash fiction, essays, and memoir.
Martha is great! I haven’t read her memoir about Adam, but have heard about it in her other books. Congrats on developing and sticking with a writing practice–awesome. Flash fiction, essays and memoir all sound fantastic. The writer/coach who taught the goal-setting workshop I attended writes a lot of things, including Memoirs. She made a commitment last year to block out three hours in the morning and only do her coaching in the afternoon. She had thought she’d just outline the memoir and get things organized, but she ended up completing a full draft! Stick with your 30 minutes and you’ll make a lot of progress!