"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." ~ Socrates
A Fork in the Road.
Which way should I turn? Over the past six weeks I have been asking myself this question. One benefit of being sidelined with an illness is that you are given the gift of time to think. It is difficult to recognize it as a gift if you are a doer such as myself.
For the month that I was banished to the bed to recover from a nasty case of cellulitis, I spent time worrying about the things that were not getting done. Then, in a moment of silence it came to me; I had time to think and meditate on deeper things besides housework and responsibilities.
In the fall of 2023, I had the kernel of an idea to begin building a readership for my long awaiting novel, The Red Chair. The initial thought is that I would share short stories and a weekly blog to introduce my writing style. I had no clue if anyone would be interested, but I threw some spaghetti on the wall to see what happened.
As in all things I pursue, I jumped in feet first and spent around six weeks building my website and preparing my first short stories. I am very proud of what I’ve built. Almost two years later I have an archive of over two hundred blogs and a solid bank of short stories.
For those of you who have been faithful to read, whether weekly or monthly, I thank you. You kept me encouraged and going when I felt like giving up.
Let’s talk about giving up. Sometimes giving up does not equate quitting but taking a fork in the road. I find myself in such a place. Social media has its negatives, but as a creative, it is also a great tool to determine how much progress you are making. Behind the scenes analytics show how many are viewing, engaging, following, etc. It can even tell you where your readers are from.
I said when I began focusing on writing that I would give myself two years. Granted, I had in mind all along that The Red Chair would be published within that two-year window. Life has a way of throwing cold water on your face. The Red Chair is still very much in my plans, but I have found zero time to focus on it along with other work and home responsibilities. What good is building a readership if there is no book to share?
As much as it pains me, I know that it is time to take a different fork in the road. This will be my last Tuesday blog. I may return to it at some point, but I need the time and energy to focus my efforts elsewhere. I will continue to write at least once a month for my Patrons on Patreon. If you would like to continue to read my blogs, I encourage you to click on the button at the bottom and become a member.
I am still figuring out the future direction. What I can tell you is that Moon Diva’s Artist of the Week will continue and potentially ramp up. Nothing will change about that. April 1 I will be deactivating all social media profiles for THCountzWrites. The numbers are not there and since I share everything on Moon Diva anyway, it seems unproductive.
At some point, I will be revamping my website as well. Eventually, a “coming soon” landing page will be in place, but for now, you can visit the website and catch up on any reading you may have missed.
I believe these changes will allow me the extra time I need to focus on The Red Chair’s completion and other new ideas.
Anymore I am constantly reminded of how precious our days are. None of us know how many we have left. I have so many things I’d like to enjoy before my number comes up. If something is not working, it’s okay to stop and take a fork in another direction. I fully believe if we follow our intuition, amazing things will unfold.
Thank you again for your support and love. I encourage you to continue to follow Moon Diva’s AOTW and know that I will continue to share my progress with The Red Chair and all things creative.
If you are facing a fork in the road, I encourage you to figure out which direction is best for you and go for it.
All my love,
Tracey
Sweet & Sour … It’s been a swell ride reading your thought provoking blog. God bless your next chapter
I will miss your blog but look forward to reading the Red Chair! What may be in your path for the future is unknown yet exciting as you have more time to devote to your writing and art! I admire your talent and faithfulness to youraelf! I am thankful to be a friend and look forward to our upcoming endeavors!
Congratulations on the courage to take a new path! 💜💜💜
I will certainly miss your weekly blog posts. But you know what is best for YOU! Wishing you all the best in all that you do!
Always!!
Tracey, you’ve done such a great job sharing your thoughts with us. I have so much going on in my daily life, and as a result, do not check my emails often. I say this to let you know that I don’t check to see if you have written weekly or not. I think that is a self imposed time schedule. I’d be happy if you just share your thoughts when you feel like it in a not formal so well written and focused way. If something occurs to you and you want to express it please do, but don’t tell yourself that you shouldn’t because it will throw your supporters off if it is just an occasional tidbit. Whatever you need to do, if you need the structure of writing it weekly or not at all, then you’re taking good care of yourself. As for me, I want you to know that I don’t expect structured deadlines from you. You can just HOLLLLLEEEERRR: “HELLLLP” or “WHY?” or “Go to hell Elon”. I get it!
Tracey, you’ve done such a great job sharing your thoughts with us. I have so much going on in my daily life, and as a result, do not check my emails often. I say this to let you know that I don’t check to see if you have written weekly or not. I think that is a self imposed time schedule. I’d be happy if you just share your thoughts when you feel like it in a not formal so well written and focused way. If something occurs to you and you want to express it please do, but don’t tell yourself that you shouldn’t because it will throw your supporters off if it is just an occasional tidbit. Whatever you need to do, if you need the structure of writing it weekly or not at all, then you’re taking good care of yourself. As for me, I want you to know that I don’t expect structured deadlines from you. You can just HOLLLLLEEEERRR: “HELLLLP” or “WHY?” or “Go to hell Elon”. I get it!
❤️