Something Is Emerging...

...Slowly 🐌

Dear Readers,

I’ve only gone and bloody well figured out where I want to go from here… With my writing, the business, everything!! I guess a month of reflecting - and more importantly, not acting on impulse - will do that to a person.

It’s a long story and I WILL be writing about some of my process over the last month, but for now (and because I’m so excited, I can hardly contain myself) I’ll just let you in on my (current) plan for my return in September.

A New Name

You will see (from the beautiful banner at the top of this page) that I have come up with a GENIUS new name for my publication here on Substack… Do you like it? I LOVE it!

It came to me one very early morning (as these things tend to) when I had been mulling over, for quite a few days, exactly what it is I’m trying to convey with my writing. Then it hit me!

The main thing that drives the poetry, the personal essays and the children’s books that I write, is my passion for being open and honest and sharing raw and real feelings and emotions. For supporting my children with processing their “negative” emotions and making sure they feel accepted and loved, whatever mood they are in - which, granted, is NOT always easy.

My Mission

Through my writing I hope to inspire others to allow themselves to feel ALL of their feelings and to feel safe to be open and honest about this too. I want to support people to feel heard, understood, accepted and less alone.

By sharing my own complex and varied feelings in relation to my experiences as a parent, a highly sensitive person and a perimenopausal woman, with ADHD… I hope to send out little ripples of empathy, compassion, kindness, joy, laughter and acceptance into the world. 💛

Photo by Alma Snortum-Phelps on Unsplash

A Stark Revelation

Or… “Exactly what I’ve been trying to say to you the whole fucking time!” - Which is what Mark stated to me as I arrived by his side, beyond excited to tell him of my “profound” realisation!

“I’m already doing enough!”

Yes! That’s it! I’m already doing the thing I want to do… I wanted to write and I am! I’ve written essays, articles, poetry… TWO children’s books!! I wanted to create a place to publish my writing and perhaps support & inspire others and I have! It’s already enough… I am DOING enough… I AM enough!!

Woohoooooo!! “By jove, I think she’s got it!” - About bloody time! 🤣

Why it Took So Long

There are of-course many complex reasons for the enormously elongated journey to this “discovery” and I will share more in due course, but for now, let me simply list a few of the key factors for you here.

1. People can tell you until they are blue in the face, but if you don’t realise it yourself, you won’t truly believe it. It has to come from within. 🥰

2. I was attaching my worth to (among other things) the amount of money I was earning.

3. My money mindset was totally fucked!

   Note: It’s got a lot to do with parent’s/society’s attitudes to money growing up, believing my words, insights, knowledge and experience weren’t of enough value… and something about mountains offering you a packed lunch! 😉

   Claire Venus ✨
   Shaylee
   🤣 I WILL be writing more about this!

4. I got distracted - My super creative ADHD brain took me off on SO many tangents, I forgot which way was up! This, combined with believing I had to create/provide/offer eleventy-billion things in order to be of value, led to my inevitable burnout. Doh!

5. I got confused… and so did you lot, apparently! 😆 If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, please read this.

6. Because I simply cannot end a list on an odd number… It is a crime! I am so clever and talented, I couldn’t decide which of my many amazing skills to focus on… AND believed that the ones I enjoy the most aren’t of enough value to others. Which I can proudly say, I now KNOW is a load of absolute bollocks!!

What This Means Going Forward

It means I can focus on the meaningful work that I LOVE to do most. Write children’s books, spend time engaging and connecting with other lovely talented writers and sharing their work. Publish my poetry, personal essays and maybe even FINALLY have enough time to write my adult non-fiction book! 🎉

I need to iron out the finer details and (in the interest of avoiding yet another pivot) let things marinade for a while longer, to be sure this is the way I want to go. However, at the moment I feel pretty certain… and, dare I say, excited!

Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash

The one BIG fundamental difference between this and previous “decisions”, is that I am resisting all urges to jump in head first and go hell for leather with creating all the new graphics, updating/re-branding everything, etc… which is quite an “uncomfortable” feeling for this highly-productive over-doer!! 🫣

As You Were!

It’s been great fun popping in and sharing this with you and I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing from me. However, as previously stated, I will still be taking a break until September and honouring the time and space that I know I need.

I will be (SLOWLY) making a few changes in the lead up to my return and you may notice a few adjustments/design changes creeping in before then. You might have also seen me “lurking” around on Notes and elsewhere - because I just can’t help myself 😉

See you soon!

P.s. Have a great summer! 😎

Photo by Rafael Cisneros Méndez on Unsplash