(A-Z Challenge: O)
O is for Over. As in, the A-Z challenge ended a month ago and I got stuck after M. It wasn't lack of time, being too busy, nothing to write about, and all of the usual rationale for blog abandonment. It was actually perfectionism. (Had I made it to P, maybe that would be a good topic.)
I missed a day or two, and suddenly catching up felt daunting. In focusing on the post-every-day rule, I completely lost sight of the spirit of the challenge. Which is simply to get your ass to the computer on a regular basis and write.
That I can do.
But first I have to let the challenge go. Being on letter O a month after the challenge ends feels like a failure, its sting piggybacking on the "I never finish my writing projects" shame that lurks in my mental corners. It's the ultimate writer's block, blocking not just the writing but the writer.
The perfectionism also insists on well-organized content (which is what I do for a living, for pete's sake) and also having a consistent theme like a "proper" blogger would. I spend my days organizing and writing content around themes, and here I just need to explore and breathe. I've discovered that when I don't allow room for mental meandering, I don't write. It's hard to have an outlet inside a self-imposed creative straightjacket.
So enough of that. O is for Over. And for overcome.
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