Month: May 2016

Every single person on this earth has a talent. Some innate part of ourselves that makes us excited to get up in the morning – that we’d gladly put in 80 hours a week toward because it doesn’t feel like work. If we do what we love, it doesn’t feel like work. Isn’t that the saying?

I believe these talents can transform as we get older. Forbes.com came out with an article that said millennials could have up to 20 different careers over the course of our working lives. [http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2012/08/14/job-hopping-is-the-new-normal-for-millennials-three-ways-to-prevent-a-human-resource-nightmare/] I can’t decide if that statistic is inspiring or exhausting. I guess I’ll choose to find hope in it as I’m one millennial who has had a few different careers in her life already. There is a theme to them all however. That theme is Creativity. I am a creative person. A singer, a performer, an artist, a songwriter – I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that true happiness is when I am being creative.

Moving forward to the 40 (plus!) weeks of pregnancy, let’s just say I didn’t feel creative during that time. Which is odd because growing a child from nothing but love is honestly the most creative thing a woman can do, don’t you think? Regardless, I’d heard about postpartum depression, but I had no term to describe this prenatal fog. This suppressed feeling that seemed to surround the nine rather long months. And women don’t talk about it. Pregnancy is the most magical gift given to us, and it is hard – almost taboo – to talk about the negative sides to it. Believe me, it wasn’t until that glorious little girl was put in my arms for the first time that I literally felt the fog suddenly lift and leave me with an enormous sense of relief. Heavy stuff that was finally being released.

Whether you’ve felt that suppression or not, it is still a colossal transformation we go through bringing a child into the world. And my creative outlet, my salvation, became writing. I am a firm believer in getting out of bed 15 minutes earlier than you normally would in the morning and spending that time by yourself writing.

This writing will become a clearing of the cobwebs – if you will – to get motivated to start your day. It brings a clean slate to your day. Sometimes these morning writings are to-do lists, or a “Dear Diary”, or maybe nothing but simply writing “I don’t know what to say” over and over for three pages. Hey, not every day can be a study in inspiration. The important thing is that you write. I learned this habit from The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. And while I’d heard about books and genius ideas coming out of this practice, I truly didn’t believe it until it happened to me.

It was maybe five months into my pregnancy (or 18 weeks pregnant – but who is counting?!) that I saw the pattern emerge. I was not writing “Dear Diaries” or to-do lists in those first 15 minutes. I was suddenly writing inspirations, meditations, soul sessions to help myself be truly mindful during that challenging time. And just like that (plus some blood, sweat, and tears), a new dream was born. The Daily Soul Sessions for the Pregnant Mama became real, became tangible, became a book.

Here are some lessons I learned by writing every day – Your “Pregnancy Writing Tips” to get you through 1 week of pregnancy through 41 weeks of pregnancy!

Pregnancy Writing Tips and Encouragement:

• Do it. Write. Everyday. Journal your thoughts onto a piece of paper and watch ideas, entrepreneurial thoughts, undiscovered dreams emerge.
• Don’t be distracted or turned away at the beginning. Like everything writing is a muscle that has to be worked and strengthened.
• It’s okay to suck once in awhile (slash most of the time). You have to get the bad thoughts out in order to get to the good ones.
• Find your talent. Find your creativity. And then follow it! It will lead to a surprising, fulfilling, and purposeful life. We are only here for a short time – you MUST make the most of it.
• Do not be afraid of putting yourself out there. Do not worry about what the world thinks of your newest dream. Deep down everyone simply admires those that go after what they want with courage and without apology.
• You will be amazed at the changes your life will go through when you write. I promise, you will be amazed at what dreams will come.