August Can Be January
New beginnings for those feeling a bit creatively stuck.
Sometimes in the middle of the year, I wish I could begin again with more wisdom than I had 7 months ago.
In the hot morass of Florida humidity, everything feels sweltering and stymied. But the skies repaint themselves every night, and it reminds me, so can I.
January is just a name on a piece of paper with a set of numbers attached.
Our calendars don’t have to determine the rise and fall of our creative rhythms.
In case you need to hear this too.
You can start over in the middle of the year.
You can begin a brand new day at noon.
Each breath is a chance for change.
You don’t have to hold out for another month or year or week to roll around.
Perhaps you’re not stuck. You’re simply getting ready to stretch your wings.
I scribble this in the edges of my journal.
august can be january. blank pages and beginnings found between days melting together, edges singed, baked to a crisp. pause in the middle of the stanza. take a long breath. don't wait for permission, or invitation, or a magic square on a page. interrupt your own paragraph. start a new narrative. in the middle of the year, reinvent your becoming. declare a new day at noon. rearrange all the furniture left in the room. start as many times as you need. just, whatever you do, don't give up on the dream.
If you are looking for a fresh start, turn to a blank page and write the words: FRESH START.
I know it’s a little cheesy. But it works and makes me giggle in the process.
If having a new calendar is motivating, get one. Bonus points » If you get a 2025 one midyear, they are usually discounted. Use the first half for note-taking.
Take a reset day. Do something not in your normal routine or space to reclaim your time and energy.
Change your scenery. Even if it is just moving your furniture around.
Take a week to focus your spare time on recalibrating the things that bring you life and joy.
We live in a vastly different world in many ways now than 6 months ago.
It’s ok to begin again. Try something new. I did something that felt brave… I got in front of the camera and read that original poem to all 100 of my TikTok followers. Mostly… so I could post the video with captions here 🤣, but it still counts.
Sending you so much love. Your dreams are worth fighting for.
Kudos to you for being so brave! I loved the poem, but it's even better hearing you read it. Your posts have been a bright spot in an otherwise harrowing time. I'm encouraging myself to journal again, but in a creative way, instead of as an "assignment." I even bought myself some pretty stickers at the craft store when I bought some for my granddaughter, so I could decorate the pages. Thanks so much for your wisdom and grace, and for sharing those with us!