I was so happy and excited on Sunday when I got myself organized and brought this blog back to life and figured out how easy it was to use the domain name I bought over a decade ago…I promised myself that I wouldn’t overthink it. That I would write regularly. Figure out my voice by doing, not planning.

So I am showing up. But feeling tentative. And second-guessing.

Last week the very smart and lovely Alice Bradley wrote about Austin Kleon’s new book Show Your Work. I haven’t even read it yet – it only just arrived today. But I think the reason it stuck with me is that this, in a nutshell, is something I’ve been struggling with for the last several years. Show your work? But what if no one likes it? What if it’s no good? I don’t think it’s ready yet. Methinks this is exactly the line of argument he’s out to counter.

And then this straightforward piece of advice:I’ve been thinking a lot about making change using your body’s wisdom. I even wrote about the body as a compass right here on this blog. But I’ve wandered away from my path since then. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and analyzing and gaining insight – lots of time spent in my head. And little by little I’ve lost the connection to how I feel. But I know it. And I know that I’m at that intersection where understanding the why isn’t enough to motivate a change. You have to feel it in your spine and your gut and your heart. That’s  where change really happens, where it sticks. And you have to get there by doing, by moving, by making, by showing up and showing your work.