Keeping at the Daily Challenge
This post is a bit of a feelings ramble and a bit of a status on the creative challenge of blogging every day.
The daily blog challenge I chose to do this year is 100 percent not a simple thing. It's enough effort where it takes real time to do. I'm getting practiced enough though where I'm getting most posts done in around 30 minutes.
Considering What's a Worthwhile Practice
Most every day for years now I gather notes. Sometimes audio journal, sketch, and write words digitally. Last December when thinking of what I want out of the year ahead, all this practice I've been doing only goes so far. If I don't share more words and show up, what am I doing that's worthwhile?
All kinds of things I think are easily recognizable as worthwhile. Rest. Time with friends. Time alone. Reading. Caretaking for family.
Yet I also have this habit of making stuff. Like fairly frequently. I do love practice for practice's sake yet to apply the growth toward something is where I feel practice becomes something worthwhile to more people. To channel a frequent habit of making stuff into something more than personally practicing making stuff is at least as important as the practice of making stuff.
The blogging is a mix of stresses, eustress and distress. But I'll keep going for now. I think I see how I can do this for a whole year but it's also not without facing so many other constraints and hang-ups I have. One of those hang-ups is doing posts about posting, writing about writing, and such meta self involvement. Totally worthwhile if it's helping both of us. Feels less worthwhile if it's only helping me.
Sharing Adds a Dimension to the Work
The blog as a project is like having a super social friend who is good at getting me out of my home and into the world. Sometimes my friend gets me outside and I find I wish I'd have waited until I had more to bring or share.
It's the getting outside that opens up possibilities to connect. It's the getting outside that makes me practice more than generating scraps of ideas.