On Giving Up (and Starting Again)
Writing goals for the rest of us...
On Giving Up (and Starting Again)
Let’s keep this short and simple and to the point, shall we?
I’ve Given Up
Hi, I’m Sara, and here is my confession: I’ve given up trying to turn my writing into a business. I’ve spent too much time trying to crack the algorithm of My Audience + Killer Message = Instant Book Deal and I’m over it. Something about passing through the right-of-passage of turning 40 this year made me ask myself, why am I wasting time on this endeavor? The striving isn’t working for me anymore. My life is full and resources are limited (more thoughts on priorities later). But mostly, it’s a straightforward realization that I don’t need to make a career out of my writing…
I just want to write!
I want to keep the muscle flexible and my proverbial pencil sharpened, to share my meandering thoughts with clarity, to make space for better ideas to emerge, to search out truth and beauty in a life of mothering, homemaking, traveling, non-profit consulting, and following Jesus. I want to stretch out the everyday theology of living a life coram Deo: before the face of God, for His glory.
Want to hang out?
If you are on a similar journey of synthesizing the timeless truth of scripture with the superficiality of living in 2023, then we are kinfolk. Don’t misunderstand: there is something to be mined from the depths of internet culture that is interesting. But is it true? Beautiful? Will it survive the sift of Interesting Ideas and stand up against the Great Ideas that came before? These are the kinds of questions I like to ask; questions of meaning from the mundane, because this is where we live most of our lives.
When I first started writing on the internet back in 2016, I described my early blog as my public living room: here, come inside! Have something good to drink and find a comfortable place to sit -relax- and let’s think out loud together. Let’s tell a story or make each other crack up and then let’s get deep. It’s what we Southerners do, we unravel the world’s problems together over a cup of coffee.
And not much has changed about that. Same idea, new neighborhood. Glad to be here. Glad you are joining me! Do you take cream and sugar?
The Deets
My hope is to write a monthly in-depth essay here about pursuing a life coram Deo: living with purpose, in the presence of God, for His glory. I usually do this when time allows and the Spirit moves, so it won’t come on the exact same date every month, but I’ll do my best to keep it regular.
I’ll also share other ideas, small bite-sized thoughts, art and culture that I find compelling, and interesting writing from around the ‘net. As I build out this space, my subscribers will be the first to know about any changes/updates. Like a living room, you may notice the plants move around from time to time.
One quick note re: tech tools - I am migrating my newsletter to Substack from another platform, but I will continue to post on my Wordpress site as well. No need to make a change if you are a regular subscriber.
And if you’re not already on the list, you can jump on in the email box below! 👇
Appreciate you, friend. Until next time, SBL