I notice it’s been a month since my last blog post here.
It was more of an unintentional break than a planned hiatus. I’ve struggled with the identity of this blog, and where I want to take it. Quite honestly, it doesn’t feel like it represents enough of who I am.
You may be surprised (or not) to know that:
:: I prefer function over aesthetics. I don’t decorate for the sake of decorating. If I decorate, it’s either something meaningful, or functional. For example, I have organised my yarn in colour order on the shelf, which doubles as a decoration because it looks nice.
:: I have an aversion to trinkets, and always have. I try to minimise the amount of dusting I do, because seriously, there are better ways to spend my time.
:: I am a packrat, a messy person or whatever the preferred term is, and I frequently leave things on the floor. I also, ironically, have obsessive compulsive disorder.
:: I have suffered with depression for most of my life, and more recently, in the last 8 years, anxiety. I am glad to say that I’ve found ways to manage the illness better, and it feels like it’s finally improving. Depression is a funny one, because I don’t think it’s really possible to find out if it’s completely gone.
:: I am hopelessly obsessed with self-help and personal development. Self-awareness and growth has done awesome things for my quality of life.
:: I have a secret stash of courage, which I seem to find when I am about to do something really scary.
:: I have been practising the minimalist fashion challenge, Project 333, for about a year. In July of this year, I completely fell off the bandwagon, raided my storage boxes, and just wore whatever I wanted this summer. I still haven’t found the motivation to start the challenge again, and that’s ok. Too much choice in my clothing is getting tiring though. I still have some posts to share with you about the project, because it has taught me a lot about living with less.
:: Remember the no-spend challenge from April? The real reason for starting it was so I could save up the money to quit my job. Only I couldn’t reveal that, and so the challenge didn’t work. I did stick to my promise of not buying clothing though, until October 1st. Also, my last day in my job was October 1st!!!!
:: The freedom gained from quitting is terrifying. I am intentionally staying off the jobsites for a while, because I want to focus on my writing, and creating my shop (eep!!!!). Freedom is the best present I can give myself after working for a year in an office cubicle. No purchase will ever match up to that.
:: I am starting a new phase of my life, in which I intend to show up to my life and dreams with honesty and courage. To document my journey, I have started a new blog, Notes from the arena, where I will be writing about personal development, mental health, random thoughts, musings and anything else that takes my fancy. All with a healthy dose of courage. I’d love for you to pop over and say hi, if those topics interest you.
How has your summer been? For the bloggers among you, do you take random/scheduled breaks? Do they help? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
You go for it, girl!
ReplyDeleteI think we all come into the blogging community, as our ideal selves, kind of using our blogs as a venue to pretend to be the people we think we want to be. I found it to be such a relief to let it all hang out and finally be more true to myself in my writing. I hope you feel the same way!
Congratulations! So many exciting things on the horizon. I am sure your yarn collection is a lovely thing to look at. I love the people who arrange books by colors of the rainbow, too. I have done that with the few dozen that live in my bedroom (I don't see books as clutter - I love them too much; especially since we did get rid of over 250 books we didn't love last year).
ReplyDeleteFor my blogging, I have created a schedule for myself. I maintain two blogs. One is private, and I try to update it most M-F. I write about decluttering and organizing on Monday, books on Tuesday, Project 333 or other wardrobe projects on Wednesdays, whatever's on my mind on Thursdays, and Fridays are reserved, generally, "what's really going on with me" sort of posts. If I don't have something productive to share, I don't sweat missing a post day. The second blog is public (fietsofstyle.blogspot.com) and is about my experiences incorporating bicycling as an alternative form of transportation into my life. I found there are few voices for St. Louis cyclists, and fewer that were neither women nor racers. It's a resource for those who want it, and an outlet for my newest hobby.
Thanks Bethany for the words of encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI've also found that I begin to pretend to be the person that I believe others want me to be, and that is dangerous, I think. I've spent my life trying to fit in, desperate for approval, when all I needed was a little bit (or a lot) of self-love.
The new blog is my venue to start fresh. I will let you know how it goes! :)
Thank you Rebecca. I'm excited about this new phase.
ReplyDeleteI love arranging books by the rainbow, they look good like that!
I'm intrigued by your discipline and schedule with your private blog. I find it very difficult to keep myself motivated with a private blog, if there is no one reading it? I'd love to hear of your experience with that. I started an anonymous blog, and it allowed me to be myself more easily.
Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteWell, I think beginning a new blog to correspond with a brand-new chapter in your life is very fitting. I've glanced over a few of the posts there and already, I can 'see' that it's different. Maybe it's that sense of long-awaited 'freedom' I'm sensing, from you, as the writer? That's not to discredit anything you've written previously. It really seems like YOUR blog and I'm happy for you, that you've been able to create and take this opportunity.
It sounds like you planned your escape (just like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank?!). But it's not merely an escape; it seems as though you've saved up and prepared to start this new journey and I wish you every success with it. :-)
Freedom can be scary, I'm sure. But so can the prospect of repeating the same days over and over; week by week; year by year. Enjoy your time, my friend! :-)
Hi Olly,
ReplyDeleteThank you. The new blog just seems to "fit". it feels right too. The mission behind it comes back to me most days, if I'm feeling scared or unsure. It inspires me to continue, and I like that.
hehe, yes, it was kinda planned, but in the end it happened rather promptly, I took the decision to leave after the situation at work had deteriorated.
Thank you, I shall keep you posted on how it goes.
Freedom is scary, but yes, so is the prospect of being stuck. The fear of remaining stuck finally outdid the fear of change, and I have now made the move to freedom. It's awesome so far :)