Poems and Promises: Setting Intentions for 2024

When I first started this blog site, I had no blueprint, no central focus or direction I had in mind to follow, all I knew is that I wanted a space where I could have a collection of my works to share with whoever may care to read them. Since it’s launch, I’ve written a variety of pieces, from my strong suit—a journalistic, editorial style on an array of topics to stream of consciousness pieces, sharing my expansive thoughts in a conversational tone.

From the beginning, I’ve dabbled in creative writing, narratives, as well as sharing the poetry that I wrote as part of assignments when I was in high school. I’ve never considered poetry a strength of mine, until I started challenging myself to write more of it this past year.

This year, of the nine months that I shared a blog, six were poems. Before, I used to believe I could never write something as complex as poetry, but now, I absolutely love it. Give another read to any of my poetry or prose pieces here: https://faith-it-til-you-make-it.com/category/poetry-prose/

I always had the impression that you had to have an abundance of life experience in order to ever write poetry, but I’ve learned that’s not true whatsoever. Many of my poems aren’t based on my own personal life at all, rather just on a concept or ideal that I used the power of creativity to turn into a poem that perhaps someone reading could relate to.

In every one of my New Year’s blogs, I like to reflect on all I’ve accomplished as an ever-improving writer, as well as set intentions for the new year—promises to myself, so to speak. I feel that if we think of our goals as intentions, something we actively intend to pursue rather than mere wishful thinking, we will be more inclined to put the utmost effort into holding ourselves accountable until we accomplish them.

So, in 2024 I promise to keep writing more poetry. When before I would shy away from the things that intimidate me, I will not let self-limiting behaviors and fear of the unknown hold me back from accomplishing all that I could ever dream of. I will shoot for the stars and approach every day knowing that, whats meant for me, will happen in time.

I promise to give myself necessary breaks and not feel guilty about it, because even when I’m not creating, I will still always be a creator. I am a writer. I will not allow myself to fall into creative burnout and exhaust my passion just because I feel like I have to keep creating and keep producing works on a consistent basis.

post credit: @inspiredtowrite, Amy McNee, on Instagram

I promise to write for me, and nobody else. I will not let views and likes affect my motivation to keep working towards everything I’ve ever wanted.

I promise to open my eyes to and more meticulously observe every overlooked detail in the world around me, to drive my creativity and inspire my writings.

In the new year, I want to work towards bigger and better things, the things I know I can accomplish. I want to have my works in print someday, so to myself, I promise to hold myself to higher standards and put in the effort necessary for me to reach my full potential, no matter how long it may take me. I will go out of my comfort zone and rely less on this blog site as the sole vessel for my art.

post credit: @inspiredtowrite, Amy McNee, on Instagram

While I will never let recognition define the validity of my success, I will seek opportunities to share my works on a bigger scale—whatever that may look like for me. So if you see less of me on here, not to worry, that just means I’m fulfilling the promises I’ve made to myself and creating more than I ever have before.

While I’m still an avid advocate of manifestation, I’ve newly started to shift my mindset to treating the things we would like to see for ourselves, our intentions, as promises because if you were promised something, would you like for it to ever be broken? I’ve set no time table for myself, and choose to take on life with patience, one day at a time, because success has no deadline.

While 2023 brought on growth and newfound self-assurance, here’s to poems and promises in 2024!

~~~
You can revisit all my creative writing pieces to date, including poems and narratives, here: https://faith-it-til-you-make-it.com/category/creative-writing/

Happy New Year!🥳

Writer’s Block

Her mind is blank, but if these walls could talk for her, only then might you fathom the extent of her suffering. In the dead of night, they watch as she wakes gasping for air as if a cinder block has come crashing down onto her chest. While on solid ground she’s falling, losing her grip by the second, slipping farther while her aching fingertips are desperately trying to hold on.

Wandering aimlessly, she hasn’t a clue what she’s searching for. She’s trapped in a mirror maze of pure nothingness, accompanied only by several of her own helpless reflections staring back at her. She scours every corner, but amidst the flashing lights she’s lost all sense of direction.

The walls of this glass box she’s in cave, and through the thickening air she screams, yet nobody can hear her. All that’s on the tip of her tongue is the saltiness of her tears. She’s tormented by the the deafening silence inside her head.

What a beautiful tragedy it is for a writer’s heart to carve its own wounds. She lies awake on nights like these, tossing and turning, listening for distant murmurs. The closer they get, the clearer they sound and she can begin to slowly stitch her heart back together.

She remains restless until her heart is woven by the strings of all the words she’s for so long been trying to find. The mere presence of a single thought reinvigorates her entire being. At last she can breathe again.

~~~

As this final day of August was nearing, I feared I had nothing to say. I was experiencing the most intensely horrifying feeling any writer could have: writer’s block. I always thought there was no feasible way to put in to words the feeling of not knowing what to write about, as someone it should come so easily to. But, I thought, what if there was? And so, as I lay restless in bed one late night, I typed a list of words to describe all that I was feeling: panic, confusion, frustration, and so on. In doing so, suddenly my mind was filled with constellations of letters forming all the right words to give you this melodramatic tale.