I’ve come to the end of my October blogging challenge (20 minutes every night for a week, no editing) and I’ve decided two things. First, this week should be capped off with a reflective post, one that looks back over the previous six nights and attempts to understand what I’ve been trying to say here. Writing fast gets to the heart of the matter; choosing to edit less retains the unintentional slips of pen that reveal further truths.

October Reflection

The original intention of this blogging challenge was to break through the fear that’s been blocking my writing, thwarting my efforts on draft 5 of The Eugenicist’s Assistant. All week, as I’ve been posting about schedules and dancing and Perfect Days, I’ve been thinking about that fear and how to eradicate it.

Although I never addressed the fear directly, my posts were answering the question. I spent the week focusing on two themes: gratitude and creativity. These are two of the best tools I know to combat fear. Gratitude helps me acknowledge the best parts of my life and gather strength against the worries and anxieties that fear brings. Creativity is how I make better things that aren’t inherently good; I process my life, including my fears, through creative acts.

Have you ever thought about the tools you use to combat fear?

Oh, and the second thing I decided: I want to do this every month. Even with my busy schedule, I can handle six straight nights of blogging capped by a reflective post. It hits the sweet spot that allows me to post without feeling that the intervening time has somehow raised the stakes on whatever I’m trying to say. Stay tuned for November’s blogging streak!