SUSAN TIPPETT BRAITHWAITE

A New Year’s Leap into Bloganuary

January is a month synonymous with new beginnings, resolutions, and self-improvement. It’s also a time when all those things and our resolve are tested. A month before 2024 began, I’d already made a commitment to myself for the new year in the form of my new weekly digital art challenge, Spies, Lies & Digital Skies, and to actually get my newsletter out to my supremely patient subscribers. But, me being me, I had to add that wee bit more pressure. Up the chances of self-destruction ?

Bloganuary Plunge

Around midday(ish) on the first day of this year, I foolishly decided to participate in Bloganuary. The challenge was writing a blog post in response to a daily prompt. It wasn’t quite a resolution, but more of a whim, a personal dare, even.

I figured I’d probably get about ten posts out sporadically through January. If I managed that, I’d be pretty happy with that. My aim wasn’t to complete a perfect month of posting. It was to face my fear of sharing my thoughts by getting some practice in.

Facing Fears, Finding Joy

But as each new prompt came in, I found my struggle to write and be more ‘me’ on the page, reducing a fraction at a time. The fear of sharing those posts gradually followed suit—though at a slower rate. But I was actually starting to enjoy writing my blog posts. The daily ritual of sitting down with my notebook to draft the posts helped to reconnect me to the person I used to be before the fears I’d acquired had taken over. I caught glimpses of a future where I can write freely without the shackles of perfectionism and shite like that.

Challenges and Triumphs

I’ll be honest: some prompts were difficult to respond to mainly because they were repetitive or meant nothing to me. I saw those as a challenge to tap deeper into my creativity, and I’m so glad I did. Those ones serve as a touchstone whenever I doubt my creativity (there’s a silver lining everywhere!).

Then there were the ones that were difficult to not only write but also share. The ones that required a deeper examination of myself, my issues, and my past traumas. It was those posts that made me want to walk away from the challenge. And I know from my work with The Artist’s Way that those were the very posts that I had to do.

Working on those posts was like a form of therapy, and posting them was cathartic, freeing. I hadn’t expected the response to those posts to be so encouraging and supportive.

Community Cheers…

The thing with keeping our fears and problems to ourselves is that we think that it’s just us, that no one else suffers from the exact same shite. That’s why I hadn’t expected any response to those posts, but you all blew me away with your openness and honesty in the comments. Sharing how the same issues have impacted your life, what you’re doing to work through them, and generally sharing the love.

Your likes and encouraging words spurred me on, keeping me going each day of the challenge. Without this amazing community, I can’t say for sure if I’d have kept with it for the whole thirty-one days of the challenge.

…and Personal Cheers

I shared in my newsletter some stats from WordPress about the challenge that had me in a state of dumbfounded shock. Of the 6,140 bloggers who took part in Bloganuary, only 152 completed every day of the challenge… That’s 2.48%. I’m still trying to take in the fact that I’m one of them. ?

Yip, I’m blowing my own trumpet here. Yip, I’m cringing about doing it. But part of dealing with perfectionism and working on self-improvement is recognizing and celebrating our accomplishments. So, here’s my wee trumpet ? and a woohoo?!

Bloganuary Lessons

What I’ve learnt by doing Bloganuary is that I have a fantastic community here who are supportive, understanding, and the best cheerleaders I could ever have hoped for.

Fear as Fuel

I’ve also learnt to tap into my feelings of fear so that I can chase my dreams. You didn’t read that wrong. You know that twisting, almost electric feeling that snakes around your stomach when you’re nervous/freaking/scared? Well, that’s the same sensation you get when you’re excited.

So, whenever I feel that before working on a post, I tell myself—repeatedly—that I’m excited to work on my blog. It takes a lot of repetition, but it works.

Was… Was I Cool?

A bonus takeaway from Bloganuary is that on paper, I sound like I might have been cool at some points in my life. ?

Embracing Spontaneity

From now on, I’m keeping the momentum of battling my fears going. Through this challenge, I’ve discovered the roots of my fears, and just having that knowledge is slowly, slowly breaking down those barriers I’d erected to protect myself.

I know now that I no longer need the protection. And that knowledge will roll forward with me, spilling into my future posts in the form of freer and more spontaneous sharing.

Thank You!

So, again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for having my back. Happy Valentine’s Day. (If you forgot to buy a card and need one in a hurry, sign up for my newsletter–click the image below–to get your exclusive free print-at-home card and envelope set!)

Stay awesome,
Susan x

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Have you ever taken on a challenge that pushed you out of your comfort zone? I’d love to hear your inspiring stories in the comments below. Let’s inspire each other with our journeys of growth and resilience. And if you haven’t already, hit the follow button to join our community to stay updated on the adventures that lie ahead.