BY DEB LUND
August 29, 2014
You can taste it, can’t you? Fall…
I’m much more of a fall cleaner than a spring cleaner. Fall is a time of letting go, reflecting, preparing, renewing. For me, besides the bags and boxes heading to our amazing Whidbey thrift stores, that means recommitting as a writer, writing teacher, and creativity coach.
If only this adventure could happen without visits from Miss Midge, my inner critic (who’s tough as a tractor and built like a fridge).
Our conversations go something like this…
On WRITING:
Me: This fall, I’ll read through notes from my agent and tackle another round of revisions on my upper middle grade novel.
Midge: You’ve worked on that for years. It will never be good enough!
Me: I can’t wait to get going on that adult magical-realism novel. It’s the project that’s really calling to me.
Midge: It’s an okay idea, but you don’t have enough of what it takes to make it work.
Me: I need to start more picture books.
Midge: Don’t you already have enough that aren’t going anywhere?
About WRITING TEACHING:
Me: I’m looking forward to the conferences I’ll be presenting at this fall.
Midge: How will you possibly have enough time to prepare?
Me: The writing classes I have planned for “Write in the Park” will be so much fun!
Midge: You won’t have enough writing time if you’re busy helping everyone else.
Me: Maybe I should design another online continuing education course for teachers.
Midge: Don’t you have enough to do? You’ll never manage it all.
And CREATIVITY COACHING:
Me: Seeing the growth in my creativity-coaching clients really feeds me.
Midge: But does it feed them enough?
Me: The Fiction Magic online group should be interesting.
Midge: If you have enough to say to them.
Me: When I really listen and trust that the right words will appear, my clients’ insights often appear as if by magic.
Midge: Yes, their insights, not yours. You think that’s enough?
ENOUGH ALREADY!
I’m already enough.
You’re already enough.
Did you hear me? You. Are. Enough.
What would you be or do if you knew you were enough? Smart enough, talented enough, creative enough, good enough? I’ll say it once more…
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
Make your list. Recommit to your own projects and paths. That’s who you are, and that’s enough.
If you can’t help it, listen again to the old tapes from your own inner critic, but then bag and box them up and clear them out. It’s fall. Let go, prepare, recommit.
You can taste it, can’t you? Is that taste enough to get you going on some fall cleaning? I hope so, because I’ve already said…
Enough.
Deb Lund is an author, creativity coach, and writing teacher. Stop by at www.deblund.com to learn more about her. We could say more about her here—the great card deck she made for writers, the classes she’ll be teaching at South Whidbey State Park, or how she can help you overcome your own Miss Midges, but this is enough. It’s even enough that she didn’t have time to send any photos to go with this blog post because she’s celebrating her 25th anniversary.
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