When my first novel came in the mail and I held it in my hands, it made me cry. Here is was, finally! A real book. I opened the pages. I smelled them. I rubbed the cover against my cheek. (I know, I’m a weirdo.) When I received my second novel, all I saw were the flaws that needed to be fix. Why do we so so easily place our our faults before our accomplishments? Why do we view mistakes as failure, instead opportunities for improvement? If we strive only for perfection, something we know is not possible, we remain immobile. We are human and humans make mistakes. One of my mistake has been holding something in my fist when I should have freed it long ago.
Writing has been a lifelong passion of mine. Besides reading everything I could get my hands on, I created stories in my mind. Those stories grew and became novels. I wrote when my children were young, and they sometimes hated it because mama went to a different world and it wasn’t their world. Yet, that dream, that ability to see something different then what is directly in front of us is a gift, and it has served both my daughters. Seeing beyond what is in front of us, that is something we all need in the world right now.
If you follow me, you know that no matter what I write, no matter the genre, the subject, YA or adult, futuristic, historical, horror, or paranormal, there is a common theme playing itself out through my characters and the message is the same -- Humans are scarred and fallible, but there is always redemption when one is willing to look in the mirror beyond their reflection to that thing bigger then themselves. Redemption and Hope. I have a prayer that I’ve prayed my whole life… God blesses the work of my hands. I’ve seen that blessing in my family, in my art, and in both of my careers, technology and teaching. And now, even though it may be imperfect, I’ve released my writing… the literal work of my hands. I know the secret now. The blessing comes when you open your hand.
It feels good to look in the mirror and to see beyond my own reflection. It feels good to let go. Do you have a theme to your life? Is there something creative within yourself that you need to let go of? How about we take the journey together? Come on.
Where should we go next?