On getting unstuck. When it's OK to quit—Also 100 Days of Wonder | Week 8
A BIG announcement and our prompts for Days 50-56, April 12-18
Well friends, we are halfway there.
I’m going to be honest. This last few weeks around here have been filled with 2nd guessing myself, Olympic-level overthinking, bad sleep decisions, and general disagreeableness.
It has reminded me of when I spent a semester in a Bangladeshi village at 19. Mostly on my own for 4 months dropped in a village 3 days on an ox cart past the last urban anything. We were in rainy season, and the roads looked like that image above.
Oozing mud reached my ankle or higher. Context note: I have one leg and use crutches to walk.
Every few steps the suction power of that viscous goo I was slogging through would consume a crutch tip. Pull it right off. SLURP. Gone. I quickly gathered an entourage of village kiddos spelunking through mud to dig me out every 10 feet or so.
For the girl 🙋🏻♀️ who hated to ask for help, wow, was that a lesson. Even almost 30 years later.
That’s what the last month-ish has felt like around here.
This last week has come with some deep reflection and realization… We are in such a different place now in the world than we were when I started this Substack in 2023-2024 with our first 100 Days of Wonder. I am in a much different place too.
I love creative challenges. But I am realizing there are times when they can overwhelm and shut down the very creativity you are hoping to wake up. The trick is to know yourself well enough to know when they are helping to stretch you. And when they are suffocating the joy right out of what you’re doing.
Seth Godin talks about elements of this in his little book, The Dip. The “dip” is the hard part where pushing through brings real value on the other side. But there are other times it’s a cliff or a culdesac where more push-through isn’t helpful at all.
If I push through the hard part, does this meaningfully improve and offer value?
Or am I just staying because I started?
So I want to do something I’ve never done in the many creative challenges I’ve hosted here and on social media—remind you that you have permission to quit anything that isn’t serving you. With ZERO shame.
If this (or any) creative challenge is not building your creative JOY or growth, I’m going to suggest redirecting that precious energy into a direction that will.
The last thing I want is for this space to be “homework” in your inbox. God, no.
So I’m rearranging a few things to better serve the wonder we all need more of. Myself included.
Starting next week, I’m sending you a weekly Saturday essay. The prompts to finish this 100-Day Project will still be sent, but they will arrive linked in that essay. You can click through or not.
Why? I’m writing a book and I need to get back to writing the kind of words that are pulled from the depths of the stretch marks in my soul not a prompt jar. Back to the joy of language and expression and telling you about forages wild evening primrose and infusing it into jojoba oil.
I need to prioritize more joy in the absurd times we are dancing through. And maybe you do too. Sleep better, care for my body and not get strapped into the doom loop roller coaster white-knuckled in survival mode.
I want you to hear from me, brew some tea and enjoy a letter from a friend. Not file this as another set of things to do.
And if you are loving our 100-Days of Wonder prompts… they still will be coming, just linked as an option instead of the main event.
Thank you for being here and letting me change and grow with you.
The Daily Prompts: April 12-18
From Penelope the Prompt Jar… holy heck, I wrote the letter above before I pulled these prompts!
DAY 50 | April 12: What does consistency feel like today?
DAY 51 | April 13: What does growth feel like from the inside?
DAY 52 | April 14: How does movement impact your creativity?
DAY 53 | April 15: What does possibility look like right now?
DAY 54 | April 16: What does creative joy feel like?
DAY 55 | April 17: Write about the last time you discovered something surprising.
DAY 56 | April 18: What practice helps you return to yourself?
As always, I am so grateful you are here.
All my love,
Bless you.
Thankyou for your words. I am always encouraged by what you share.
Blessings,
Mary Anne