Diving Right In

 

Photo by Richard Crowley under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

What is it that impedes the flow of creative energy so much that even when we’re almost jumping out of our skin to do something new, we hold back, tentative and unsure? Are we afraid we’ll fail? Do we worry that by putting the results of our creative flow into the public we’ll reveal more of ourselves than we’d like to share? Is it that we feel so comfortable in our status quo that we’d rather not risk upsetting what’s familiar in order to dive into the river of a new adventure? Maybe. And yet, when the impetus becomes too great to resist, we can find ourselves acting boldly, even if it’s a bit messy. I once had a teacher who said, “Go ugly early”. His point was that if we wait until it’s all perfect, we’ll never make it into the water. I’ve hovered long enough at the edge looking for perfect and now is the time for me to dive in, even if I do a belly flop. So here goes – I’m writing my first blog!

Let me first introduce myself, in case you don’t already know me. I’m Cheryl Plotner, a native Oregonian now living in northern California with my teen aged daughter and our dog, Maisy. I’ve had lots of adventures, traveled to many different parts of the world, and worked at several different careers so far in my life. I’m now more settled down than I’ve ever been, I love my life and I enjoy my work as a personal development coach and holistic healing consultant.

I’ve been thinking of blogging for years, and during that time I’ve had plenty of ideas for things to share, on subjects ranging from home economics to holistic health, favorite recipes to forgiveness prayers, parenting stories to personal empowerment, to name just a few. In taking this first little dive into the cool water of the blogosphere, I find myself asking why I’m doing it. If I’m really honest, I’ll admit that I hope to inspire and entertain others with my writing, but it’s not only that. I like the process of crafting something that can speak to another and the refinement of the message through editing and revision. I also love to share practical information that may add value to the reader and, because I’m passionate about personal development and holistic healing, I have a lot to share!

Next, I consider who will be my audience. Because I’m interested in writing about a wide range of subjects, I think my audience will be comprised of everyman. Some of my blogs will interest parents or teens coping with divorce, others will appeal to foodies looking for a new recipe for this week’s potluck, and some may grab the attention of people in search of alternative healing practices. I think my audience will just show up, like my writing does, in alignment with whatever is in the flow at any given point in time.

I sometimes wonder what I’ll write and how it will become words on the screen, and then I get immersed in whatever story bubbles up from the depths when I sit down to my keyboard. I find that many are teaching stories, gathered in my mind from so many life experiences. Is that merely memoir? Why would anyone want to read my stories when everyone has their own? How can I write in such a way as to evoke someone else’s story in its unique richness and complexity? That will be one of my challenges, and an inquiry to the reader: What does this bring up for you, and how can you express it in order to give value to yourself and another? I invite you to consider how you can dive into your own river of life more fully and find meaningful ways to share your gifts.

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