The Valley of New Beginnings
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Chinese proverb
I have a love/hate relationship with milestones.
High school graduations, college convocations, Master’s degrees . . . these victories call for celebration. Balloons. Cake. Heartfelt cards.
We love to commemorate a good ending, and rightly so.
But after each mountain-top victory comes the inevitable descent into a valley of New Beginnings. After each harvest comes a fresh tilling of the soil.
That’s where I find myself in this season: back in the valley of New Beginnings.
Navigating the Writing Wilderness
When I finished my MFA this summer, I naïvely hoped that my Master’s degree would magically unlock all the doors I knocked on—that I would immediately step into a “big girl” job and leave the world of retail forever.
Thus far, that hasn’t happened.
As it turns out, the writing world is much harder to navigate than I anticipated. I feel like I’ve been dropped in the middle of a forest without a map.
Where in the world do I go from here?
Finding my way, one step at a time
Here’s the hard truth I’ve had to learn about a writing career: There is no simple or straightforward path. No magic formula. No step-by-step guide to success.
I’ll be perfectly honest: I have no idea what I’m doing.
But I’ll tell you what I’m not going to do: I am NOT going to let my perfectionism convince me to quit before I’ve even tried.
I’m going to explore this crazy, scary writing world even if I get lost along the way.
Here’s to new beginnings, my friends.
Love this! I’m so excited to see what you create, friend!