The Power of Daily Writing Habits

What makes a habit worth keeping?

Right now, the habit of writing a post everyday brings me into better alignment with my life.

As soon as I wake up in the morning, I open up my laptop and stare at the blank screen.

Then I recall the day before. What stood out? What do I feel is shareable? What do I need to express so it doesn't fester inside of me?

I judge habits all of the time.

They aren't just things we do unthinking. They're patterns that can shape how we feel and who we'll eventually become.

If you choose to format loops to live your life, why not choose the ones that help keep you in alignment?

Writing is becoming a daily anchor for me. It helps my mind settle and brings clarity, steadiness and grounding to my day.

I know we like to describe habits as good or bad, but I've started asking myself, "Does this habit make me feel integrated, or disintegrated? Does it support my life or result in me feeling fractured?

The answer to that question tells me more about my habits and whether or not I choose to continue them.

Why Writing Brings Me Joy

I've felt the urge to write daily for many months.

But in what way? Privately or publicly?

I chose publicly because I want this habit to stick. Writing here, and stating that you'll find a post everyday, keeps me accountable.

My first full-body psoriasis breakout was when I found out my parents both had cancer. Since they died, the psoriasis comes and goes, and I noticed that the flares correspond to periods of stress.

I realized that I can eat all the right foods, take all the right supplements, exercise, get sunlight, drink water but what I wasn't doing was dealing with my internal self-talk and my misunderstanding about self-expression.

So, I thought, "What have I not done on the mental plane? Where am I not in alignment spiritually, mentally and physically?"

As it turns out, A LOT is out of alignment.

A habit that has not brought me joy is stuffing how I feel about things until they explode out of me in uncontrollable and in-elegant ways.

I've always needed a pressure valve, and until recently, I realized that my mother and our daily talks was my pressure valve, and then she died.

I'm a Terrible Talker

On my website that leads to this blog, I state that I think through my hands. The pathway for me to communicate clearly needs to include my heart, which then directs my hands.

I do this in my creative life, too. I don't think about a design... I fiddle with bits and pieces of wire and sheet metal before a design comes to life.

It's the same with my communication. I think out loud, which is basically fiddling with words, until a coherent idea emerges, and unless you know me pretty well, this can be overwhelming for the other person.

I have to hear myself first to know what I think about something. Sometimes I change my mind mid-sentence once I hear it, and I go into a completely new direction.

My mother understood that, and could gently guide me into clarity.

Writing slows the process of turning those jumbled thoughts and ideas into words, and I can find the structure of what is swirling around in bits and pieces in my mind.

I can marry feelings, facts and experiences using my hands by typing out a post.

My pressure valve is working again, and I'm seeing a vast improvement in my skin, too, as a result of establishing my daily writing habit.

The joy in healthy self-expression is the reason, I think, why we are alive.

When that ability is shut off for any reason, I'm learning that some sort of pathology emerges to get our attention to reassess what loops we've been stuck in that need to change.

Writing daily, a brand new habit, is my medicine.

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Random fact about me: I only have 7 pairs of shoes: fancy Birkenstock's, casual Birkenstock's, fancy winter black shoes, casual winter black shoes, water shoes for snorkeling, a pair of boots, and a pair of Hoka's.

Leaving Etsy: My Journey to Squarespace

I've been with Etsy as a marketplace to sell my jewelry for 14 years.

But it's time to transition off of that venue and build out my product line on Squarespace.

Etsy has been a wonderful place to sell my work for a long time, but since they went public, the quality of the marketplace has gone down considerably.

In the beginning, it allowed for direct sales between the artists and the buyers, and the vibe was pretty pure and direct. If it's not handmade, you can't sell it.

It was wonderful! But mission creep set in, and Etsy opened it up to vendors and now it sucks for both artists and buyers of artist's work.

Vendors, who don't care that much about what they sell as long as it sells, are having a field day.

Seth Godin wrote about this distinction all the way back in 2011, and it rings so true now.

Etsy is no longer a marketplace about handcrafted merchandise, and their branding is suffering because of it.

They've made countless dumb decisions and I'm ready to move on.

So.

I made the decision to use Squarespace as the host for my shop, and while on vacation, I'll be slowly adding my listings there.

I just designed my website a couple of months ago on Squarespace, and will now go to Phase 2 of my plan by moving my shop on over.

My approach to the switch won't be cold turkey, but a nice, slow roll.

I don't know how long I'll be selling with both platforms, but my intent is to be completely self-sufficient in a year.

I learned a long time ago not to shoot myself in the foot as I'm running away from something. Emotional decisions need to take their time to fully emerge. Etsy has pissed me off enough now that I'm going to move, but on my own timeline.

There's plenty I need to learn about SEO and how to leverage social media to get my sales up to speed.

One thing I like about Etsy is that they do a pretty decent job of getting your listings seen if you play by their rules.

But they aren't playing by their own rules anymore, so the trust is gone.

And that's the precursor to a sinking ship so I'm getting off before she goes under completely.

Here's to life in the fast lane...or my lane at any rate!

Random fact about me: My husband likes a tidy house and I like a clean house. I'm not anal about being tidy and he's not known for cleaning. Oh, the irony!

Embrace Creativity: Jumping into Daily Blogging

I had a lovely coffee date with a dear friend yesterday.

When we get together, there’s never enough time to cover all the topics going on in our lives. We are such chatterboxes! I think we are making up for lost time, because she's one of those people that I wish I would have met when I was in elementary school.

We need a lifetime!

I’ve known her for a few years now, and her friendship is on my personal “don’t leave Roanoke” list.

She’s entering a season where she can finally pursue what makes her heart sing. She’s chosen gardening as her medium. What a great way to connect with others and communicate the importance of cultivation. Not just in the soil of our backyards, but in ourselves as human beings.

I tease her about building an empire, but honestly, I believe she could do it.

We got to talking about my new direction of blogging daily, and I learned that she also sees the value of documenting life with intention. As we walked back to my studio, she mentioned she might start journaling daily, either privately or through blogging.

I immediately jumped in with encouragement, sharing how powerful a daily creative practice can be.

No need to wait for the perfect journal or the perfect website; just start and see where it takes you.

I shared with her how I have no idea what my blog post is going to be until I sit down in the morning to write it.

Content reveals itself because it's tied to my life.

She's also starting to move in a different direction, too.

She’s starting a YouTube channel so she can have more control over her videos (she’s been sharing mostly on Instagram). Right now, she’s immersed in learning how to pull together her content and get her video production set up.

She’s choosing growth, and I couldn’t be happier for her.

One of the secrets to creativity is simply diving in.

Many people think they need clarity before starting something new--clarity about the process, and even the outcome.

I know people close to me who have big dreams, but they hold back, waiting for the “right” environment: the perfect website, a peaceful studio, a better office setup…or losing weight before they join a gym or biking group!

I disagree with that mindset.

Start with what you have. Trust that the process will unfold and the outcome will reveal itself as you go.

Plans are great if you’ve been down the road before since you’ve got a map. But if you're in new territory, you need to think like an explorer.

You don’t know what you’ll encounter. You can’t predict the obstacles, (or the gifts!) along the way. But if your desire is genuine, it will guide you. You’ll figure it out.

And sometimes, what shows up is far better than anything you could’ve planned for.

Serendipity loves movement. If you have the desire, jump in and see what happens!

This blog is me jumping in!

This blog of mine is about as simple as it gets. I’m using WordPress.com and paying $48 a year for the Personal plan. I wanted to see if I could maintain a daily writing practice before investing in a self-hosted site with all the bells and whistles.

I just needed a place to begin.

The one thing I know for sure is that the URL will remain the same. Where it lives and how it evolves, I have no idea.

I'm just waiting to see where the road takes me.

No big expectations about outcome...just a desire to excavate my daily experiences, write about them creatively, and pull out any universal insight I find along the way.

That’s it, really. And to share them with you.

If you’re interested in my friend’s gardening adventure, go check out her website: www.michellesgardengrows.com.

Random fact about me: I collect rocks. They are like permanent flowers to me.

The Hardest Lesson in Designing Anything

Yesterday, a good friend of mine was due to arrive at my studio to pick up 8 pairs of earrings she ordered for a bridal shower she was traveling to for her future daughter-in-law.

It was a last minute order, and I was in a rush to get them out the door.

An hour before she was due to arrive, I discovered a major design flaw in three pairs of the same earring design, and it all centered around a hinge that was attached with a jump ring.

Hinges are a signature component I use in a lot of my designs.

But it wasn't working consistently, and all three pairs were not hanging right because of the way I had attached the hinge.

I spent 15 minutes of precious time trying to adjust for the discrepancy. As I looked at the clock, I began to panic.

I couldn't fix the design as it was, so I made the decision to take out the hinge and reassemble what I had left.

The design was instantly cohesive and worked like it was supposed to.

And it looked better.

Sometimes what I think is essential is actually the thing that needs to be thrown out.

Once the hinge was history, the design could breathe and function properly.

Not everything we add to something is necessary. I have a tendency to cling to a part of the design that took a lot of effort or time to come up with.

But if it isn't serving the design as a whole, throw it out .

Clarity always wins.

Random fact about me: I don't eat the last bite on my plate or drink the last drink in my cup or bottle.

The Company of Women

My studio is located in a pottery studio, with pottery classes ongoing through out the week.

I've taken two classes now, and I am beginning to develop wonderful friendships with the instructors and students.

I can't emphasize enough how nourishing it is to be around a bunch of creative women that are mostly retired and a little younger than my mother would be had she lived.

I didn't realize how much I've missed the company of older women over the last 10 years, but especially the last four since my mom passed in 2021.

When we moved to Roanoke, I was busy with my father and spent a lot of time with him, due to health issues he was facing. He needed a lot of my attention.

I wasn't able to make good connections with many women, and I've really missed it.

Some of the women I'm around now have recently become widowed. It's been an education for me to understand how drastically their lives have changed since losing their husbands.

One woman had to leave the farm she lived on for the last 11 years. Another is still in so much grief that she relates every conversation back to her husband.

One thing that sticks with me is how accommodating and generous the women in this group are to each other, especially those that have suffered such immense loss.

They all have had hard experiences and know that the way through is often connecting your mind, heart and hands to a task that anchors you into the present moment.

That's where you begin to get your sea legs, so that you can weather any storm that you inevitably must face if you make it to old age.

Random fact about me: I love to fish. Bank or boat...makes no difference. A day spent with a line in the water is my idea of heaven.