The day has finally come.
Today, I complete a trip around the sun, with 366 days of writing daily. The first two months were a breeze because for the first month, I was only writing poetry for NaPoWriMo, as I shall be writing every day for a month, starting tomorrow. The second month was all about my writing process, Q/A’s that my followers on Instagram suggested I do, and just randomly talking about why I started this blog in the first place.
I had not planned to write every day for an entire year. It just didn’t seem like the kind of thing I could do, because anybody who knows me personally knows that I’m sort of all over the place, dabbling in at least 3 or 4 different things at once; I can’t focus unless I have 3 side tasks. So, you get the idea why I felt like I couldn’t keep this up, way back when. Honestly, even I am surprised.
But, around 3 months in, it became a routine. Even if I was travelling, I would take the time out to sit and write because writing had become such an important part of my day. And it isn’t like I had a schedule for writing or posting because I don’t want to confine myself to rules like that. So I wrote as and when things crossed my mind. Believe me, I tried to maintain a journal where I could write down blog post ideas for the month. But that did not work out. At all. But hey, if that works for you, you should stick to that process.
Writing here never feels like too much work because it’s just like talking to a whole bunch of people, even if I am not doing it in person. I am so glad that I have a platform where I can voice my thoughts. The goal was never to reach a wide audience, but now that I know it does, I am amazed at the power that words can have. I’ve always wanted to write, for as long as I can remember and now I get to do that daily. So it’s a huge win.
To everybody who keeps asking me how I manage to stay so consistent, I honestly wish I had a satisfactory answer for you. I don’t know how I did it, and I don’t know if I can continue to do so. But as long as you stay true to yourself and your art, how often you do it shouldn’t matter. Because art isn’t something that you can force out of yourself. It has to be as natural as breathing.
It’s one of the things that I love the most about art. It’s not something that lies outside at all. It’s just an extension of ourselves and that is what this site is to me. An extension of myself. A very public version of a journal, if you will. So it’s only fair that I talk about things that I have been through and I that helps anybody at all, I am glad that I had a part in it.
As for how I come up with different things to talk about every day, it’s definitely not easy. People who have been around me when I write know that I am the most chaotic when I don’t have something meaningful to write about. There are so many things to write about and I have to make sure that I talk about something that has already been talked about, but in my own way because it also has to be original.
I draw a lot of inspiration from the kind of art I am exposed to, whether it’s music, movies, web series, paintings, novels or poems. It’s all about what I have taken away from the art I choose to surround myself with. And of course, when it comes to art, you can’t not talk about the artists who were behind it. That wouldn’t be fair. So, of course, I choose to engage with people who feel as passionately for art as I do.
Speaking of which, I collaborated with one of my closest friends and I wrote a small piece on how you should trust the process and not give up, which I feel is the right thing to share with you all, on having completed one whole year of writing daily. [You can also check out the original post on her Instagram page here.]:
“As artists, we run into obstacles on most days. And to be honest, the bad days often outnumber the good because bringing our vision to life, seeing it take shape in front of our very own eyes is easier said than done. When we’re not creating, we’re planning what the concept for our next work should be. And when we’re not planning, we’re trying to draw inspiration from just about everything around us. So, in spite of all that, when we hit a creative block, it feels like a betrayal of sorts because it’s almost as though our capabilities have somehow failed us. But that is not the case. The art is, and will always be inside of you. You just have to believe in yourself and allow yourself the time and space that is needed to truly let the creativity flow out of you. It’s not something that can be forced. Let it happen on its own. The more you observe the world, the more you get inspired and it will reflect in what you create. Let yourself feel the art within you. Let it flow through your veins. Trust that you can. Trust the process. And simply let yourself create at your own pace.”
Consistency in art obviously sounds like an amazing thing because you are constantly on your toes. But if you do end up hitting a roadblock, don’t beat yourself up over it. Take it easy. You can definitely come up with something beautiful soon, but if your brain demands a break from creativity for a while, allow yourself the time and space to get back to your creative potential.
Breathe. Trust the process. Setbacks will always come and go, but your art will always be a part of you. You got this!
Looking forward to another trip around the sun.
Cheerio! Xx
Featured Image by Anshruta | @celluloidroll on Instagram
The Shubhster Diaries 
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