Help. I'm Stuck! By Carol Harrison

To be honest, I’ve been stuck so many times. Sometimes it’s happened in the middle of a project which is what our prompt is about this month. Yet there are times I can see the end in sight and inspiration fades, ideas hide, and I’m as stuck as when I’ve ended up with snow too deep for the car to continue moving forward. Once in a while, I’m stuck before I begin to put a great idea into practice, unable to move ahead. This often happens because of fear grabbing hold and walls of resistance rising up.

Right now, there’s a huge task called marketing demanding my attention. The thought scares me and I’d rather avoid it. But God recently reminded me that to be a good steward of the abilities He has given means not only writing the stories but also letting people know they exist. The self-promotion scares me to the point of inaction. At the Inscribe Conference in September, Grace Fox told us to quit worrying about building our platform and begin to think about feeding God’s sheep. This mindset adjustment focuses the attention off of me and onto God.

 

But how does that help me get unstuck from this need to market my books so readers will know they exist? How can I connect with them? I’ve begun to try a few things like having a booth at a craft or trade show and talking to people during the day. But there are other suggestions to consider such as starting a newsletter. I know it’s an idea which others have used. I receive some newsletters and enjoy getting to know the author through them. But to do one myself—I’m stuck.

 

I’m stuck in the muck of fear. When our cars get stuck, we rock back and forth as we attempt to resume our journey. Inches at a time we try and gain momentum. Sometimes that’s all it takes but at others we need some extra help. We need a push. It’s no different in our writing or marketing projects. Sometimes we just need someone to bounce ideas off of, glean knowledge from, or even get their expert help with technological issues.  

I’ve been rocking back and forth on the newsletter. Legitimate questions have been asked like how to even begin, what to include, and who to send it to. I admit I need help to get from idea of the newsletter to a trial run and finally building an email subscriber list. Help showed up as I spun my wheels and I’m grateful.  

Many questions now have answers. I’ve jotted ideas of what to include in my newsletter and a format for consistency in them. Those technological issues such as setting up Mail Chimp and learning how to use it have been taken care of. Everything is ready to proceed except me and my fear of beginning.  

A stronger push by a group of fellow writers to take that next step and do a mock up newsletter to send to myself happened this week. Encouraging words like, “You can do it. and just take one step at a time” means accountability. I don’t have to accomplish everything in marketing. I don’t even have to perfect a newsletter but I need to try.  

When the car is stuck and help has arrived to push as you rock the vehicle forward, you still need to keep your foot on the gas to gain that forward momentum and keep it going until you reach solid ground once again. I need to remember that analogy and keep taking the next steps, allowing the forward motion to propel me on to complete the next step and the next. It will bring a sense of accomplishment, quiet the negative voices playing in my mind, dispel the fear, and help me connect with others which is something I enjoy.  

No matter how stuck I am in a project, these steps of rest for a bit, rock back and forth with researching the answers to what has me stuck, and then accepting help to push me forward while keeping the momentum going will be what helps get unstuck.  

Now for the next step in this newsletter journey. If anyone is interested in receiving a monthly newsletter from me, just send me an email at carol@carolscorner.ca. Eventually I’ll get that technology of a subscribe button installed. But until then one step at a time.  

 

 

Carol Harrison often gets stuck and chooses to not follow what she knows has helped in the past but wiles away her time with reading or playing with her paper crafting both of which she enjoys and do help the creativity begin to flow again.