I feel so inspired lately, so many things to write about yet I have a difficult time just putting it all down in the written word. It’s not because I don’t know how to start, or what to write, but the motivation to sit in front of the computer for another forty-five minutes to an hour after I get home from work is not something I want to do. I’m on the computer all day at work, and when I get home even though I have a brand new shiny computer, it’s the last thing I look forward to. I remember feeling this way when I worked a day job where I was on the phone all day, I would come home and avoid talking to anyone on the phone; I was burned out from answering questions and putting out fires eight hours a day.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the computer, the feel of my fingertips lightly stroking the keyboard, and as a trained typist, I enjoy the physical activity of typing. I enjoy the look of the words on the page, the satisfaction of seeing something I have created being posted for the world to read.
How do I overcome this aversion for my home computer? I thought getting a new iMac would be the key to my success; nope, it’s not. What about the prompts I try to write in my Passion Planner each week, that should do the trick, nope it didn’t. Then what? What do I need to do to bring it all together and get the words jumbled up in my head down into written form?
I have to understand where my head is before I can get my behind in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard:
First, I feel if I’m not editing photos, I’m not being productive, or I get lured away to Facebook land and there goes my focus. Second I need something to motivate me, something to lure me to log on and start writing. And third, it comes back to the mentality of maybe I’m not good enough to do this; the negative self-talk that undermines my confidence. Understanding the few things I listed helps me to see what I need to work on to clear my mindset. 
Addressing the first issue is easy; I have to put in my brain that I am being productive when I write, it is part of my overall business of photography. Next, I need to set a timer and not allow myself anywhere near Facebook until the timer goes off. The second issue is I just need to stay ahead with some good content, blog my activities and where and when I’ve been photographing, add more reviews of the artists I photograph and the equipment I use.
But it goes much deeper than any of that; My self-talk is not always kind, and when it’s full-on beating me up, the doubt slides in and goes for home base. A good friend of mine Karen Zeigler wrote a great blog a few days ago titled “Tired of Peeling the Onion? Stop Peeling the Onion, It’s Time to Fry it Up!” (don’t you just love that title?) you can check it out here: http://karenzeigler.com/stop-peeling-the-onion-its-time-to-fry-it-up/
Karen has been a great mentor for me, mostly from a distance, but she knows how to ask those hard questions, the kind that open you up piece by piece and help you get to the meat of the issue. She has a way of giving me the words I need to hear, even if I don’t want to hear them, and she uses her God given gift of writing to do so. I’m thankful for strong women like her who push me out of my comfort zone to do the hard stuff; digging deep and releasing what’s been holding me back, “Peeling the Onion”.
Until next time, from behind the lens.
Life, Love & Passion Through the Lens 