Fly
There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask, “What if I fall?”
Oh, but my darling,
What if you fly?
-Erin Hanson

Have you ever chosen a word to be your guide for the year?

In 2016 I chose my first word.

Be.

I was tired of the stress, the chaos, the busyness, and anxiety.
I couldn’t be still in my own mind.

Do you ever feel that way?
You lay down at night and your mind is spinning?

So my word was simply…. BE.

And over the course of that year, at the start of every month I would choose a specific trait I wanted to focus on that month.

And I healed.

It’s a process to heal.

I began to feel a newness inside of me again.
I didn’t feel dead anymore.

As 2017 began, I felt a little better. Less drained and worn out.
A breath of possibility.
So I chose a new word.

Grow.

And over the course of the year I did grow.

I grew in ways to overcome self-doubt and self-hating.
I grew in homeschooling, and in mothering.

Parenting is hard, y’all.

As 2017 came to a close, a new creative venture materialized.
One that I had been trying to start for months. Years?

I started a new blog/business (the one you’re on right now!), finally giving voice to the creative spirit that’s been in me since I was little.

And I knew my word for 2018.

FLY.

I chose a feather to symbolize it. (IG painting, and Rock)
I had plans to make something cool out of wood, which I didn’t.
But I did paint a rock. That’s cool, right?

As I began my blog and learning a whole new side of things different from photography… it was exciting and inspiring.
My mind opened and I found joy and excitement again.
This was FUN.
But after a few weeks, I felt things stalling.
I had made goals and I wasn’t reaching them.

I spent months still churning out blog posts and videos, and learning to live in faith and joy and not anxiety.
Lots of good learning.

But no momentum.

This year is FLY!
But where was my flight?
I felt like I was walking in circles, not soaring in the sky.
I felt so inspired at first. What happened?

I let anxiety drive. 

I just want to do good and serve God, however He wants me to serve Him.

So fly, huh?
Did I pick the wrong word?

How am I going to even pick a word for next year?

Where do I go from FAILED FLIGHT?

But…
I did a scary thing.
I launched a membership, without really knowing how to do a membership.
I put myself out there, and asked people to share. Even people who I hadn’t talked to in a while.
I felt a little pushy.

I hate pushy.

I watched anxiously…
…and no one signed up.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
After a few hours went by, I felt somber.

What was I doing?

Why did I think this would work?
What was I doing anyways?
What made me think I could help anyone?

Then 24 hours after launching, I got an email.

Someone was in.

Hmm. Okay.
Well, I’m still not going to do it.
It’s not a membership with one person…
Oh well, it was a nice idea on paper.

But then I got a text that night, in ALL CAPS.
Another was in.
And then one more.

Huh.
So we began.

And one more joined as well, just in time.

So here we are.
Women creating weekly together.

Know what? It’s pretty amazing.
You guys, these women are changing.
It is changing them, their motherhood, and their lives.

Here’s what they are saying:

Bre:

Women Create Weekly has already made an impact on my life, by planting that little seed to set aside time to create. At first I just watched from instagram, then I made my way to your blog which lead to my daughter and I learning to make a paper box. I get so busy and set in my routine that it was nice to slow down and connect with my children again. Since then we’ve glittered, glued, painted, and colored several times together.

Amber:

I now think about creating. That was something that I just didn’t have time for. It’s nice to feel hopeful again about creating, that I’m going to make it happen. Now there are people that are going to work with me, beside me, to figure it out too. I feel like I am committed, and that’s encouraging to me. This is set aside time, built into my schedule now.

Tawnya:

Life seems to cram together and get so busy. On the day of our calls, I think, “If i can just hold out until then, there’s something that will fill me.” Creating is an essential part of happiness… of having a well-rounded peaceful life. It gives me purpose and helps me feel proud of myself. “Look what I made!” So it’s nice to have someone forcing me to do this. I’m not naturally creative; I don’t have a lot of skills yet. I’m excited to be learning.

Aria:

I’m already a creative person, but [WCW] helps me make time and space in my schedule for myself. I like that I can try something new, or experiment with what you show me and try it with my own flair. I have a busy student schedule, but now if I have 30 minutes I can roll paper, or make a card to someone. I don’t need to set aside hours to create.  I really like the small challenges you give us each week. Short activities are helping me change the way I think. Instead of “saving” something and never getting back to it, the personal interactions are helping me to actually DO things, not just think I’ll do it later.

 

Wow.

So maybe I AM learning to fly after all.
I guess I’m a little bird, just getting my feathers in.
I’ve bumped around the nest and fallen down a few times.

But the thing is… I’m still flapping. And hoping. And dreaming.

So maybe this is what the beginning of flying looks like.

Little bird!!

I want YOU to choose a guiding word this year too.

I’ve made this FREE 5-page workbook to help you discover and implement lasting change… for the whole year.

 

p.s. Tawnya did a Word of the Year in 2018 after hearing my story a year ago, and she found it throughout the year in her most critical moments to help realign my mind– to keep me pushing forward. My word was Potential; it’s about what is possible, what I can do. Potential is my word still but I need a new one too.

p.p.s. If you want to join us in the Beta CLUB, go check out the details over here or then drop me a line: amber@womencreateweekly.com.  I have one spot left.

We’re turning this word into year-long art. It’s going to be amazing.

 

p.p.p.s. Share this post with a friend so THEY can find awesome change too this year.