Five years ago I published my first book ‘capture 30 days of inspiration’. It was exciting, challenging and scary all in the same breath. A cacophony of emotions as I released my thoughts and eccentricities onto printed page.
It was something I had dreamed of since I was fifteen. I did a Bachelor of arts in English and Comparative literature, dreaming one day I could publish creative writings.
Between conception, dreaming and reality there were many years of lull.
One January however, I took a massive leap of courage and decided to write. Every day for a month I wrote a chapter about my everyday life, hoping to inspire others to live more intentionally.
Live with kindness, live with creativity, live with inspiration. At that point of my life I found so many of my friends stuck in a moment and I thought doing something about it rather than emptying another tea cup with our complaints was necessary.
So I did.
Naive
Optimistic
Completely green.
I just had a go. I asked a friend to take photos everyday for 30 days also and we captured a inspiration journal type of book to inspire people to live beyond their funk.
The design process was grueling, the financing was confusing, the editing was intense. It took courage to continually push through with the project even when everything seemed against me.
The book launch came and went and then the real work began. Selling something that had my name on it, trembling as I spoke tentatively to wholesalers and bookstores about my project.
What project makes you tremble?
What dream have you put off from lack of courage?
I am proof today that although my book is far from the best sellers list, I often receive emails from people saying thanks ‘your book helped me’.
Two years later I wrote my second book. I was no longer green, no longer naive to its challenges, finding courage to publish again was overwhelming. I often felt so disappointed in myself that I could not just push through and find the strength to do it again.
Fear gripped me, I just could not seem to make the project work.
Then late in 2012 I had an idea. Rather than publish the book in hard copy and go through the design process, I could publish it myself as an ebook for free.
No stress with designers, no stress about finances, dream still realized.
So starting January 1 on my blog www.capture30days.com/blog I have released a chapter everyday to download for free. Written in the slums of Bangkok ‘capture 30 days of inspiration 2’ is all about finding inspiration in the midst of challenge.
The courage I needed to find to write again was even more difficult than the first time. Popular culture would tell us that living a life of courage is simple, especially when you have already had a go at something. My faith tells me that perseverance is imperative to live a life of courage.
Do you dream of doing something that is beyond your normal everyday?
Take courage my friend, even if you’ve done it before, go again ‘Take heart.’
All my love
Amanda