An Artist’s Journey

Published! Growing into your goals.

Hello Friends,

The new year is here, and I want to thank all subscribers, new and seasoned, for joining me on these rough seas. I appreciate you being here! Without you, my writing would never reach land. Here’s to a new year of learning and creating together!

Good news swept in unexpectedly on December 30, joining the end of 2024 with the beginning of 2025 in a meaningful way for me. My short story “The Difference” will be published in Persephone Literary Magazine in January 2025. Many thanks to Allyson Nichols for publishing my work.

I had fidgeted with this story on and off for a few years, and in the early fall of last year, it finally decided it was ready to leave my hands.

Lesson #1: every project blooms in its own time.

So often I’m filled with fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear my words will never make sense to anyone but me. But every now and then a light shines out of the darkness like a candle on a Winter Solstice night.

Lesson #2: Believe someone will see in your work what you see. Or better yet, get out of your own way, do what needs to be done, and let the universe sort out the rest.

If you need more inspiration, more tough love, read my article Never Give Up from January 2022, which I reposted in 2023. I like to post this article at the very end or beginning of the year as a reminder to keep going no matter what.

Reflecting On

the journey

When I began writing stories, I had no idea how long it would take before I had something worth submitting for publication. But what I’ve discovered is that it’s an ongoing process. Even now with more experience, I can’t predict the length of time it will take for my words to form something meaningful. I’m always rewriting, sometimes over months and years. I tuck stories into files on my computer, in a box or a drawer, believing they aren’t ready because a flutter in my gut says Not yet. To some degree, this is a good practice. Allowing a piece to cool off for a while will usually reveal its flaws.

But what I always forget is, with practice, an artist grows and improves. It’s okay to accept where you are and submit your work, as long as you feel it’s the best you can create at this moment in time.

The Heart of It

The creative arc is different for each artist. Some find early success, others find it later in life. But allowing the journey to unfold was something I struggled with: I wanted everything now. I wanted to be excellent now. I wanted success now. But over the years, as I crafted each story, the act of creating somehow became sacred. It was no longer a means to an end. Creating was the goal itself. The journey suddenly became exciting. And even while rejections still poured in, I began to see the circle. I felt able to accept the process of rejection on one end with acceptance meeting it as the circle came around. In fact, when held back to back, you can see they are part of each other, one a facet of the other. Armed with this knowledge, creating a good story became a challenge, enjoyable—most of the time. (There’s nothing worse than a story that resists completion!) I have goals, of course, and achieving them feels great, but it’s only one facet of the jewel.

Granted, this perspective gets easier with the acquiring of acceptances, but honestly, for me, the shift began before that, around the spring of 2024. And there was one reason why. I started being more disciplined about my writing.

I’ve read articles about this, heard advice from other professionals, but it never really made sense. (The cynical side of me says, “Of course it’s starting to make sense. If you want to continue being a writer, you don’t have any other choice.”) And that’s true. Either I remain on the train or I get off at the next stop. But the biggest surprise of all? There is magic in the rigidity of discipline. When I turned myself over to it, I stepped into a refreshing stream.

Resolution(s): a firm decision to do or not to do something.

New Year’s resolutions have gotten a bad rap over the last few years, with intentions being the preferred word. I like both words, but each has its own job.

I set intentions during seasonal of shifts of energy: Solstices, Equinoxes, certain moon phases. I’m always setting intentions. I don’t need a Gregorian Calendar New Year to remind me what my desires are. But the glittering energy around the turning of one year into the next is palpable. Everyone’s intentions are revved up, and determination is at an all-time high. It’s a great time to set those resolutions and intentions into motion! This energy will carry you, for a few months, at least.

While the word intention hints at a sly escape hatch (intending to do something is different from doing it) resolution feels more decisive. I’m determined to (or I will) write more in 2025. It’s uncomfortable, in a way, to feel so pinned down. What if I fall short of my goals? Despite all the fears that attach themselves to resolutions, sucking them dry by mid March, I’ve noticed professionals grow into their goals. They step into the stream and find discipline refreshing. They also understand, from experience, that sometimes they will fail. They will find the escape hatch inside their intentions and let everything go. This is okay when you understand the resolve to continue the journey is the reward. Professionals make room for failure, expect it. That way, when it happens, they know exactly what to do: shake it off and dive back into the stream. This small difference makes all the difference.

I’m not there yet. I don’t approach my writing like a professional would. Creativity inevitably comes with a side helping of distraction. And I am distraction’s number one fan. Food, a good Law & Order rerun, books, my cat’s cute face…anything, really. Last year, though, I was able to employ a professional attitude and stay focused long enough to complete a few stories I’m proud of. And on December 30, 2024, I was rewarded. It felt great…

But I’m not there yet. It’s back to the journey in 2025. I’ll set my intentions and/or resolutions and see if I can, once again, step into the stream—for longer, this time.

Happy New Year! I hope 2025 brings you prosperity, joy, love, and a change in perspective, if that’s what you desire.

Jan

*Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

*All writing on this Substack is original by Jan M. Alexander. © 2024. All rights reserved.

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