GYWO 2023 week 1/52

happy "get your words out 2023"! if you're not familiar (and i wasn't until summer last year, when my good pal militarypenguin told me about it), it's a pledge-based challenge in which writers pledge a wordcount or a habit-based goal to strive to during the year. i chose a habit pledge, since i've got giga-adhd and habit developing is a bit difficult for me to do outside of intense hyperfixation.

even though i've been a writer as far back as i can remember, i'm a primarily visual artist. i've grown a lot with visual art and have let go of a lot of my hangups-- i'm able to pick it up and put it down whenever i'd like. however, with writing it's all whim. i only pick it up when the inspiration hits, or a deadline demands. to be honest with you, that bums me out. i miss writing for fun, as stress relief, as something that felt playful and easy. that's the motivation to pick this pledge up at the end of the day. so here's the lowdown on what this is gonna be all about---

week one: i'm a creep i'm a weirdo what the hell am i doing here 

 

my goals throughout the next couple of week are as follows:

• compile a list of projects i'd like to work toward. i feel a bit creatively bankrupt as far as storytelling goes, but i know that's just because i haven't dug the well deep enough. there's water in these hills, damn it! catch me out here with my dousing rod and shovel trying to find it again like a maniac.

• brainstorm what a habit might look like for me. what time of day should i start out with? how can i incorporate this into my routine? i doubt that i'll have consistency, since i work a full-time job on top of my "second job" with art and social life. with that in mind i have to experiment a bit. roll with the punches and see what works. 

• write at least one day this week. i'm trying to take it easy and stick to journaling (something i don't do already) to get back in the practice of writing. so far this goal has been easy, as motivation is high right now and life is pretty calm. the stretch between christmas and now is the calendar's bermuda triangle. we'll see how it goes when i emerge. 

what do your habits look like? do you have to wait for creativity to strike you, or are you able to pick it up whenever you'd like? i'd love to hear some ideas for habit building from you. and do tell me about the stories that are on your mind if you're participating in GYWO. i think the power of community events like this is in the mutual excitement-- so let's cheer each other on!