(I had originally posted this on my Substack. But the hubby convinced me to focus on my blog instead of going on so many branches 😛 I still like Substack though. If you’d like to subscribe to my Substack emails, here’s how you can do it.)
It’s that time of the year – #the100DayProject.
The hubby stared at me with incredulity on his face when I told him I was going to do the project again this year. He asked, “Don’t you already have enough going on in your life? Why do you want to stress yourself out by committing to creating something every day – on top of everything else?”
He’s got a point.
But it is precisely because life is difficult that I have this burning desire to create. It’s the only way for me to remind myself (and my children) that we’re more than what we’re going through at the moment. That I still have something to offer the world, no matter how empty I feel. That I can still build when things around me seem to be crumbling. That I can make beauty out of ashes.
People close to me know that my dream is to write a novel. Unfortunately, at this moment, my writing well is, well, quite dry.
I still get to play with words. During the day, I work as a copywriter with a team of amazing colleagues. And I love that I get to help clients craft their content in a creative yet accessible way, so their messages get across.
But on top of that, deep down, I yearn to weave words into worlds and stories. Stories that, though may not real, are true.
I guess that will have to wait for now. And that’s okay. There are different seasons in life after all. The right time will come.
In the meantime, I still need to create something with my soul, for my soul.
And I’m so happy to have rediscovered painting – and watercolours.
So that’s what my project is about this year: 100 days of Nat painting. 🙂
If you’d like to follow me on my project, I post every day on my Instagram.
Dear Natalie, thank you for posting it here on your blog! It is important to continue to do things that you like. I believe you don’t find it stressful to create; instead, creating takes your mind off the current circumstances for a little while, bringing you much needed respite. Thank you for sharing your creations and your joy while creating. Love your beautiful paintings. And my son and I look forward to more of your writing to come 🙂