(A list of these short essays is available below.)
So, it turns out writing a weekly blog post is a lot of work. That shouldn't have come as a surprise, thinking about it now. It became too much of a thing, and I set the bar too high for the quality of those posts (that only a few people read anyway) that I got discouraged and fizzled out.
Changing tack this month and going for quantity first over quality: 30 short essays (~250-300 words), published every day. The idea is to establish a habit of publishing what I write. My journalling habit is great, but I don't want to keep writing just for myself.
I'll be going for breadth rather than depth, trying out a variety of topics and styles on for size. This one is just a breezy introduction — getting back onstage to a tiny audience, tapping the mic (this thing on?), easing back into the conversation.
As I write this, the familiar fear of failure and judgment is already beginning to creep up. Who actually wants to read these bite-sized pieces, what would anyone get from half-baked attempts? Well, I will just remain guided by the same principles: working with the garage door up and learning in public, aiming first for clarity and simplicity, consistency, and most importantly, just to always be interesting.
Discomfort is good; nobody ever learned or grew without constantly stretching out of their comfort zone. So I choose to take this fear, this resistance, as a good sign. Besides, there's time enough for longer, more polished writing work in the future. What's crucial now is just to keep writing and publishing.
So, folks, I'll be here all month; here's to beginning, failing, and beginning again.
List of short essays
A change of tack, above