I waved goodbye to husband and kids this morning, claiming TODAY as the day I am going to write. I will think three (or more!) consecutive thoughts without being interrupted. This is happening!
And the door closes, and I am on Instagram immediately. Shoot. Not the way I really want to spend this day. So, I delete the app.
I pour a coffee and sit in my cozy chair and have a fully charged laptop. And my fingers twitch. Where do I even start?
I grab my notebook and can’t find any of my good writing pens. Crap, why can’t I find a my good pens anywhere. But isn’t that just whiny of me? I have a whole day to myself and I am going to focus on my pen? I can’t write because I don’t have a pen? Really, Raheli? How spoiled are you?
Ah. Hello, shame gremlins. It only took you about 15 minutes to arrive. Welcome.
At this moment, I realized that I needed to take stock because I was definitely going to spin out if left for my own devices. Or, the shame gremlins will convince me that I am spoiled, and I will spend the rest of the day proving to them that I am a valuable contributor. Which will probably include cleaning the kitchen.
I grabbed a reasonably adequate pen, and this is what I wrote out:
Blockage: Where are my good writing pens? Also, time is ticking!!
Want: I want to get settled in, to be cozy with myself (unplug from outside world)
Guilt Talking: I can’t want things - because I have a day alone. “Don’t be greedy” it says. Also, cleaning
Reality Check: I have time. I want to use it for class prep. Play is important, too. Let’s play after lunch.
You’ll never guess what happened next. Nope, I didn’t start writing, but I got really excited about my check in process and make a worksheet for my class. Because when I was thinking these thoughts, it was a cyclone of shame, but when I write them out, it feels so clear that they are not the truth.
Want to try it out, too? I would love to hear if this check in worksheet is helpful to you. Maybe you are sitting down to some long-awaited creative play on this weekend? Or maybe you didn’t even think that you COULD make time for it. I hope you do find sometime to play or work on a creative project.
Download the free worksheet
I eventually moved on to writing, after my burst of design work, and I felt excited to write, instead of feeling like I have something to prove (never my best motivator).
The Snail’s Guide to Wandering is my online creativity workshop about the mental blocks that stop us from creating. We’ll look at the ways that guilt, shame, perfectionism and expectations block us from creative exploration.
Whether you are overwhelmed by social media inspiration, feeling like your hobby should be more productive, or just feeling guilty because should be doing your ‘real’ work, this class has a space in it for you.
Sign ups will open next week! Class begins February 13th.
Did you miss the download button? Click HERE for your free worksheet.