This speaks to me. I can replace "write" with photograph. Photography is my passion but I felt a shift when I started getting paid for it. Creating something that someone else wants to their specifications altered my sense of creative freedom. I am finding ways to work through it and keep my personal photography for me. On my last trip to Italy I made time for my passion and a promise to myself to complete my edits and share with my friends and family when I returned. I felt like I was honoring myself for a change. Thank you for sharing your wisdom - I know it has helped me.
Thank you for sharing this vulnerable letter. This resonated with me on so many levels. Rediscovering your passion comes so much easier when you take a step back and see the bigger picture. This is something I've been processing in my life lately. I work in media, so I made writing my job. But as a result, I have routinely neglected the parts of my heart and soul that yearn to write about things that matter to me outside of that work. I've been pouring myself into that part of my life so much, TOO much, that I come up empty when it's time to write for me, just me. Journaling -- something that typically feels therapeutic and relieving for me -- no longer felt like an escape. It started to feel like a second job because I took "me" out of the process, as you perfectly put it; I set faulty expectations for how I "have" to show up even in my vulnerable moments, which is nonsense. I was unnecessarily hard on myself for not picking up the pen for so long. Now I'm journaling again and it feels good to just show up naturally and not think too hard about where it's going to go or what I will gain from it, just simply letting the thoughts flow. It's a daily challenge but I'm working on relieving this unnecessary pressure I put on myself to constantly perform and be a "full cup" all of the time, and I'm exploring ways to channel this desire to express myself in an authentic way. In reality, every day looks different, and I'm a human being. Newsletters like yours help remind us all we're not alone in these moments of reflection.
This speaks to me. I can replace "write" with photograph. Photography is my passion but I felt a shift when I started getting paid for it. Creating something that someone else wants to their specifications altered my sense of creative freedom. I am finding ways to work through it and keep my personal photography for me. On my last trip to Italy I made time for my passion and a promise to myself to complete my edits and share with my friends and family when I returned. I felt like I was honoring myself for a change. Thank you for sharing your wisdom - I know it has helped me.
Thank you for sharing this vulnerable letter. This resonated with me on so many levels. Rediscovering your passion comes so much easier when you take a step back and see the bigger picture. This is something I've been processing in my life lately. I work in media, so I made writing my job. But as a result, I have routinely neglected the parts of my heart and soul that yearn to write about things that matter to me outside of that work. I've been pouring myself into that part of my life so much, TOO much, that I come up empty when it's time to write for me, just me. Journaling -- something that typically feels therapeutic and relieving for me -- no longer felt like an escape. It started to feel like a second job because I took "me" out of the process, as you perfectly put it; I set faulty expectations for how I "have" to show up even in my vulnerable moments, which is nonsense. I was unnecessarily hard on myself for not picking up the pen for so long. Now I'm journaling again and it feels good to just show up naturally and not think too hard about where it's going to go or what I will gain from it, just simply letting the thoughts flow. It's a daily challenge but I'm working on relieving this unnecessary pressure I put on myself to constantly perform and be a "full cup" all of the time, and I'm exploring ways to channel this desire to express myself in an authentic way. In reality, every day looks different, and I'm a human being. Newsletters like yours help remind us all we're not alone in these moments of reflection.