A Prompt for Peace

Every person on this platform is a writer. We love writing. Most of us could easily sit here and tell you all about how writing brings us inner peace, and we'd all be right.

When I entered the writing game, I found my peace in an unexpected place.

I started by blogging about parenthood after a year of work as a first-time mother. Fast forward six months, and it would be hard to dig up the last piece I wrote on that subject.

It's not that I've run out of things to write about; it's just that I always seem to find myself getting distracted. Everywhere I write, there are prompts and challenges. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little addicted.

I've never won. I haven't even placed. And yet, I can't stop entering.

It might seem odd, but the writing is a rush. I love the feeling I get when the cogs start turning in my mind around how I might tackle it. Sometimes, I give it lots of thought; other times, I throw caution to the wind and hit submit before I've done a proper proofread.

But one thing remains the same after I'm done, I feel... peaceful.

Writing something I never thought I was capable of based on a subject I never considered is extremely satisfying, even if the result isn't a work of art.

I can honestly say it's not about winning or money. Because if that were the case, I'd have given up a few thousand words ago. In fact, there's never been a single occasion where I've considered myself in with a chance. Which for a chronic over-achiever seems like a complete oxymoron. There's never been another thing in my life I've been so content with being mediocre at.

I find complete contentment in the act of experimenting with different styles, ideas and techniques.

I recently took part in a musical story challenge, wherein you were tasked to write a short story using as many song title references from one band in as few words as possible. There is no prize. But these two pieces are now two of my personal favourites I've ever produced. I read them back, and regardless of engagement, likes etc. I feel proud that it's my name sitting at the end of them. I would never have had the creativity to come up with that concept myself. But I realise I have ample creativity to take something like a writing prompt or challenge and turn it into... something.

I made a commitment to enter all 8 of the Vocal Summer Fiction Challenges. I'm a complete fiction novice. I stumble my way through blindly, hoping that my rambling will make sense. My second entry landed top story... TOP STORY. In FICTION. That email made me not care what happened the rest of the day. I was completely content, completely at peace, because I took a chance, stepped out of my comfort zone and wrote something completely off-niche, all for the sake of a challenge.

I've joined poetry groups on Facebook that post daily images to spark inspiration, so I write micro poems to challenge myself. Sometimes they get picked to feature; mostly, they get lost in the abyss. But I can do these on the fly when I catch five minutes to look at my phone.

A tiny little taste, just enough to break up the monotony of whatever the real world is throwing at me—A small splash of creativity to keep the negative thoughts, stressors and anxiety at bay.

I'm endlessly bookmarking poetry contests, writing prompts and challenge links. I don't feel stressed or worried about deadlines; they bring me a healthy rush of adrenaline. I enjoy seeing what I can come up with under the pressure of the clock as much as I enjoy having a few days or hours to let something blossom. But as a master procrastinator, the deadlines help a great deal. They give me the motivation to finish what I start.

It might seem a little... odd to most. These things often cause people stress, worry or anxiety. And I'm chronic in all three of those areas. But this is where I find my peace, day after day. This is where I find the will to write when my own brain won't give me material. This is how I maintain traction and consistency. This is how I stay committed to my passion for writing when I've given up on other hobbies or interests far earlier.

And I couldn't be more content.