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| Seth Doyle / unsplash.com |
"You've got to go through this door first in order to get to those doors." That's the message I heard in my heart one day not so long ago. Translation meaning: I was fretting I didn't seem to have the skill or ability to bring out into this world those ideas and language I could imagine in my mind's eyes -- I could hear it, I could see it, I could even feel it, but sometimes I lamented I'd never get there.
Another thing that I felt uneasy about, why allow me to see what could be possible if I really didn't have it in me to bring out? For example, I want to write posts that are beautiful. I want a blog that's beautiful ... that reflects the part of my heart yearning to express Beauty to my world, sharing words that speak life and hope to readers experiencing too much of our up-side-down world in their own lives.
When I first heard those words a picture of a door flashed through my mind. A quite ordinary door, nothing fancy or pretty about it, but the message indicated that was the figurative door I needed to walk through so I was on the path where I could develop and mature ... and then one day my words would leave footprints of beauty and hope on the hearts of people in my corner of the world.
I often remind myself I have some very ordinary doors to open in my writing life. Julia Cameron once said that artists need to make some 'ugly-ducking' paintings before they can make masterpieces. It's all part of the process of maturing: learning the techniques, mastering the skills, and developing the required patience and diligence to execute with excellence, beauty, and grace. That process takes time ... and many doors to walk through first.
"Remember that even if you have made a truly rotten piece of art, it may be a necessary stepping-stone to your next work. Art matures spasmodically and requires ugly-duckling growth stages." ~ Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way
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| Kelly Sikkema / unsplash.com |
First walking through the ordinary door, painting the not-so-good picture, writing the lacklustre piece is the necessary step that sets our feet towards the door to the life we're dreaming.
What door is in front of you that you need to walk through? Chances are it's the door you need to go through first to get there from here!
Wishing you courage and joy as you turn the door knob!
Brenda
And wishing the same right back to YOU! This is a great encouragement with beautiful illustrations to reinforce it :)
ReplyDeleteThey're (the illustrations) are like the sugar that helps the medicine go down.
Ahhh, you do ask a lot of tough questions. So much of my life includes avoidance of "the door." Now there's a good question...why?
ReplyDeleteLots to think about here. I just turned in my last essay and will write my last exam on Tuesday. Then what? What doors lie ahead? I don't even know. Since we moved 18 months ago, everything is topsy turvy. Moving was a very hard door to walk through and I can't see the path beyond at all. But I know that God will reveal it all in his time.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one step will be rejoining Inscribe!
What a wonderful post! I felt like I had to walk through so many doors just getting my little Pink Home venture off the ground - and believe me, there were days when I thought I just can't do it. But I can honestly say now that I've done it, I'm incredibly proud of myself and grateful to the Universe for not only getting there, but for the journey.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love your blog header - it's gorgeous. :)
ReplyDeleteThank-you for this encouragement! I think every writer/wanna-be writer can relate to your feelings you expressed so well! We push though our flat spots, our lows, with nothing but 'God, please help me not to quit if this is your will for me' on our lips...I needed to read this post today. God bless~
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda, what a wonderful and thought provoking post. I have felt the same way many, many times. I think that we begin to open the doors by having searching and yearning hearts. Our wanting to, is what propels us forward.
ReplyDeleteI think the bests post are those that are not always the most well crafted or thought out. Sometimes we have to talk around a subject for awhile, and then something really meaningful will fly from our brains through our finger tips on to the page or screen in an instant. To me that is the joy of writing.
The old adage: "Always write about what we know" is so true I think. That is what gives any story or post it's heart and authenticity. So if we want to write beautiful things we must feel beautiful thoughts.
Sometimes in the world we live in today, that is not a popular thing. Many people and publishers want edgy and dark, fast and quick. That is what sells. Alexandra Stoddard wrote on her blog newsletter last year, that the last three books she wrote were rejected by the publisher she had been with for decades. It shook her up a bit. She was told it was because they didn't fit into the "new" dynamics of what interests women from 18 - 35. That was shocking to me. Her books are so wise. It also reminded me that writing is a "business" and that I should never judge my success by whether I get published. We walk through the door I think when we realize that we put beauty out into the world because it is the right thing to do.
I hope you have a lovely and restful evening tonight! Delisa :)
Oh what a treasure trove here today. THANK YOU to each of you for taking a few moments to add your thoughts to this posting.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to come back later to respond more fully... as I'm really supposed to be finishing up my notes for my blogging workshop on the weekend at our writers' conference.
I'll be back.... blesses to you all!
I'm teaching Julia Cameron's Artist's Way class right now. How appropriate...I'm going through the door of making a movie of my photos from Iceland...lol!
ReplyDeleteThe quote by Julia Cameron is so excellent. The road to maturing in any area of life includes some duds - but they are so valuable in terms of learning to become better.
ReplyDeleteI also love the picture with the green door, paint peeling and all. it has such character
brenda,
ReplyDeletemy best wishes for you as you open your door to what lies beyond. i think my door was opened to St.Mary's Prayer Shawl Ministry! i have received many blessings from opening that door and stepping into a new world of stewardship. thank you for your contribution to my journey!! blessings,
^)^ linda
Brenda,
ReplyDeleteYour remark about it maybe not being a fancy door reminds me that there was nothing fancy about our Lord. He was from humble beginnings (not that He had a beginning...I'm referring to His earthly journey.) and nothing leads us to believe He added more materialism as His life progressed. Maybe we could take a lesson from that...humble beginnings, and realize God blesses those and honors our heart's desire. Blessings.