Less Is the New More by Stephanie Dees

I don’t know about you, but since the first of the year, I’ve been inundated with information about decluttering. Everyone in my facebook friends list seems to be talking about it. Netflix made a show about it. Even retailers are getting in on the action by sending emails and flyers about upgrading my storage. I had no idea my laundry basket needed a makeover!

I guess we’re all tempted to look at a new year as a fresh start. A new beginning. A new “us.” A slimmer, more organized and decluttered “us.” And that’s all well and good. It’s great to use the fresh clean pages of a brand new calendar to inspire us to do more and better things, but sometimes we get so caught up in the desire for a new us, we forget to appreciate who we already are. So, I have a few suggestions--four things we might want to consider decluttering this year. 

The first thing we need to kick to the curb is doubt. It’s normal to feel some trepidation when we send our work into the world, but doubt keeps us stuck where we are. If we’ve had rejection, doubt can make us wonder why we’re even bothering. It tells us us we can’t reach that goal we want to reach. But it’s important to realize that doubt is a liar, or as William Shakespeare said, a traitor, which makes “us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” So this year, let’s make it our goal to declutter doubt, and remember every step is a step in the right direction because we learn from all of them, even the ones which seemingly move us backward.

The next item for the discard pile is procrastination. Most writers deal with procrastination in some form or another. My theory is we’re afraid that today--whatever day today is--is the day when we’re going to finally run out of words to write. It’s a lot easier to watch videos on youTube about how to create a smokey eye (No? Just me?) than it is to stare at a blank page with a flashing cursor. Don’t get me wrong--it’s fun to watch videos and play on social media, but if we’re procrastinating to keep from feeling insecure about what we’re actually supposed to be working on, it’s time for them to go. And now that I think about it, getting rid of procrastination will be a lot easier now that we’ve decluttered doubt from our lives!

The third thing we need to declutter this year is fear. Now fear isn’t always a bad thing. It’s the thing that keeps us from walking off a ledge or committed to wearing our seatbelts. The danger with fear is we can become so risk-averse that we stop taking chances and let fear become the boss. 

When I was a little girl, my grandmother owned a restaurant. I remember her telling me one time that the way to carry a full cup of coffee without spilling it is not to focus on the coffee (and the fear of it sloshing over the side of the cup) but to look ahead to the table. As writers, we know our best, most exhilarating work happens when we stop playing it safe. Listening to the voice of fear holds us back, but not in a good way, and the way to get rid of it is to keep our eyes focused on the destination ahead.

Finally, this year, we need to let go of comparison. It’s so incredibly tempting to look around us at others on a similar path and find ourselves lacking. He got a contract. She got an agent. Her book got more reviews. His won more awards. We see all the amazing things people around us are accomplishing, but what we don’t see is the painful parts of other people’s lives--their doubts and fears and insecurities, the hours they spent procrastinating. We try to measure our struggle to their successes and that’s a sure way to feel like a failure, even if it’s the farthest thing from the truth.

So how do we ditch comparison once and for all? Remember that our path is our own and just because it’s different doesn’t mean we’re doing it wrong. Everyone struggles. Behind the highlight reel we see on social media of authors we admire is a messy life just like ours.

Okay. Now that we’ve decluttered some of the things that could hold us back in 2019, we’ve got some open space to work with and there’s one big question remaining. Now that the doubt and fear and insecurities are gone, how do we fill that space?

Well, with certainty.

The certainty that we are each a child of God. As we use the creativity He gave us, there’s no need to look left or right, no need to ever entertain doubt and fear again. 

We are fully known and fully loved by Him. 

And no external success can even come close to that.

So how about you? Have you been inundated with decluttering messages? Done some literal or figurative decluttering this year? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

The Marriage Bargain

Jules Sheehan will do anything to keep custody of the two orphaned girls in her care-including a marriage of convenience with their uncle. Cam Quinn crosses the globe as a travel writer, but he's ready to settle down. Now tough, tender Jules is offering the home he's secretly longed for. Can this marriage in name only become a family of the heart?

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Award-winning author Stephanie Dees lives in small-town Alabama with her family, two spoiled dogs, and a very bossy cat. A Southern girl through and through, she loves sweet tea, SEC football, corn on the cob and air conditioning. Her latest book, The Marriage Bargain, is available now.
 

The Comparison Corner by Gail Johnson

Have you ever compared yourself to another? You know, when you look at their bio and spy their list of accomplishments and say what in the world am I thinking? I have lost my mind! If so, you’re not alone.

"Creativity takes courage." - Henri Matisse, artist

Henri Matisse, a famous French artist, must have thought the same thing when he said, 

“It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.”

I find it strange that a famous artist would compare himself to others. Why would he do such a thing? To answer that question, I went in search of the story behind the quote. What I found helped me realize every gift is as unique as the artist. 

Like every famous person, Henri Matisse didn’t start out as a renowned artist. He began painting after his mother purchased art supplies for him while he recovered from an attack of appendicitis. That gift changed his life forever.

By 1905, his art fell under the label of Fauvism, characterized by the use of vibrant and unnaturalistic colors. Most people didn’t like this form of art. When Matisse unveiled Woman with a Hat, a portrait of his wife, people laughed at his use of raw colors on the canvas.

Their laughter may have bothered Matisse, but it didn’t stop him from painting. He studied artists such as Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Paul Signac. Yet, he remained true to himself even while incorporating some of their techniques. For instance, he used Cezanne’s method of space, and Georges Seurat and Paul Signac technique of pointillism to create his Woman with a Parasol in 1905.

Matisse’s story got me to thinking…and praying. Eventually, I stepped away from the comparison corner and learned to appreciate my gift. I understand that writing, like painting, takes practice. I learn by doing. The first draft will be a mess. And even after it has been edited umpteen dozen times, it will never be a masterpiece to some. But like Matisse, I keep studying the craft and practicing my technique.

I do that by learning from other writers. I read novels, follow blogs, and subscribe to newsletters. I am a member of ACFW and a critique group. I keep the helpful advice and discard the rest. When I begin writing, I search my notes of the dos and don’ts. But, the technique is all mine.

Another thing I had to do was settle in my mind that everyone may not be a fan of my writing or chosen genre. Frankly, I’m not a fan of every genre or every writer, either. But, like Matisse, I will study, respect, and support my fellow artists because I can appreciate the work involved in producing their story.

In the end, Matisse had the last laugh when his paintings sold for millions, and his face appeared on the 1930 cover of Time magazine. So, if by chance you are chained to the comparison corner, I encourage you not to give up. Keep studying and keep writing! There is an audience of fans waiting for just you!

About the Author

Gail Johnson

Gail Johnson is a retired cosmetologist and homeschool teacher. She lives in the South on a farm with her family and three dogs where she writes inspirational fiction/nonfiction. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is currently learning the entire process of indie publishing. You can connect with her on Center of His Wheel, Facebook, and Twitter.

Goal Setting and Accountability by Terri Weldon

I’ll confess – last year I wasn’t a productive writer. I had good intentions, but that didn’t put words on the page. In fact, I seem to remember a country and western song that said the road to somewhere very hot was paved with good intentions. Now keep in mind I’m paraphrasing. Ideas were plentiful, so it wasn’t writer’s block. Two editors showed interest in my work, so it wasn’t like I didn’t have any nibbles. So what was the problem?

The first word that popped into my mind is fear. I began to compare myself to others. BIG mistake. Please friends, don’t ever do that. God created each of us with the talents He equipped us with. Not the talents he wanted for others. There are always going to be writers more successful than you, better than you. There are also going to be those writers who look at you and wish they could accomplish what you have. The smart writer keeps her focus on God and what He wants her to accomplish. Not what he has equipped others to do. 

Once I finally buckled down and decided I had better get back in the game, I decided to set some goals. The first being to finish a Christmas novella I’ve been working on by the end of September. I’m not done, but I have 15 more days to make that goal. I’ve also communicated my goal to three people. My words to them are doing more to keep me aware of my impending deadline than any commitment I could have made to myself.

My second goal is to finish the first three chapters of another novella by 1 October. Now, as you can probably see, I set those goals too close together. Yikes! What was I thinking? I don’t know, but I’m not giving up on either project. Because I have a commitment to two others to have those chapters complete. Thankfully both projects are in pretty good shape right now.

I even have a third goal. Now before you close your computer in disgust or say that lady is crazy, I haven’t communicated a date on that project to anyone. But once my two novellas are wrapped up, I’m setting a date and communicating that date with the two gals who encourage me and the sister who puts up with her weird writer sibling. 

Everyone is different, but I highly recommend setting a goal and having an accountability partner. Oh, and make sure you look at your calendar while you’re doing it. That way you won’t set goals for two separate projects with just a day between them. J 

What about you? Do you set goals? Do you have accountability partners? Leave a comment and let me know.

Terri Weldon is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and shopping for shoes. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has two adorable Westies – Crosby and Nolly Grace. Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing.

Readers can connect with Terri: Website: www.TerriWeldon.com Blog: Seriously Write