I started this blog eight weeks ago with no idea what I was doing or where I was heading. And after nearly two months I still don’t have an answer to either of those questions. But there has been tremendous value in the experience and the lessons I have learned so far.

Stephen King is famously quoted as saying: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” This seems simple enough at first glance. And I certainly have the reading thing down. But writing is a whole different thing. Most writers, yours truly included, sometimes have trouble getting out of their own way and just writing. I can’t speak for writers everywhere, but for me one of the key reasons is I want everything to come out of me like Sorkin-esque dialogue on the first try. I want everything to be perfectly phrased and witty with strong imagery and conviction. I want to do it like they do in the movies.

That is never gonna happen with a rough draft, nor is it meant to. And anyone who has been reading this blog knows by now it is far from perfect and a work in progress.

But to me that is part of the beauty of it. Making a point to publish regularly has not only pushed me to write more, but it has forced me to become more comfortable with letting people see my writing, which is a bigger step than I can express. It also keeps me in practice. And practice doesn’t make you perfect, but it does make you better.

Posting frequently also keeps writing at the top of my mind which is pushing me creatively in a number of ways. From outlining a novel and finishing NaNoWriMo, to the list of short story ideas in my notebook, to the scripts I have been developing for a podcast and the ideas I have for creative content for this blog, I have been more productive creatively than ever before in my life. And it feels amazing. I can feel the momentum it is generating pushing me toward my goals.

This blog has also been a journal of sorts as I follow the path of my own creativity. Which has been therapeutic. I have been enjoying the fact that is is about nothing and everything and has had no real direction. It has been helpful in my quest to find mine.

I am also learning more about website development through WordPress, which I knew nothing about before this started. One of the things I have learned is that I am going to have to upgrade the site in order to incorporate some of the ideas I have for 2018. And that will lead to a whole new round of learning.

As we close out 2017 I am thankful for the friends that nudged me into starting this even though I didn’t know the way. And excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.