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The Road to Authenticity
We've all done it before - stuck in that weird state of writer's paralysis, staring at a blank page for an embarrassing amount of time, overthinking how we want whatever we're about to create to be perceived by the world. That's where I was at the beginning of this journal entry, caught between the tug-and-pull of being afraid of my own vulnerability, and being excited by it. And to my surprise? My excitement was winning.
By Amara Stephen2 years ago in Motivation
Creativity Commitment
While on medical leave in 2016, recuperating from a hip replacement, I started a novel. Propped up outside in my backyard with my two dogs for company, and Mount Rainier's glacier peak shining at me in the distance, a story formed in my mind. The book's location was in my vicinity, with streets and landmarks that friends and residents would recognize. Its characters were both young and old, surviving and resisting - joining together in a harsh environment impacted by worldly events. As the characters came to life, words flowed, and my fingers flew across the keyboard to keep up with the speeding narrative zooming in my head. It was my sincere hope to get the book done pronto.
By Andrea Corwin 2 years ago in Motivation
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Apologies for the last minute entry to this challenge. I didn’t think it was for me. I am not great at making New Years Resolutions and I blame the foggy mist of a Greater Manchester January. It is probably the wrong setting to attempt fresh thinking. I am back from a drizzle-laden walk and my hair has frizzed and I feel bedraggled. The snow has disappeared and there is black ice in the parks, so I had to stick to main roads that were slightly too noisy to catch everything my air pods were trying to tell me. The pavements were wet and uneven. I was walking against a small tide of commuters, all with their heads down. Nobody used an umbrella against the dampness in the air that couldn’t quite be called rain.
By Rachel Robbins2 years ago in Motivation
My New Year’s Resolution for a 2025 Creative Project. Content Warning. AI-Generated.
It was a chilly New Year’s morning when I sat by my window, gazing at the frost-laced world outside. The streets were quiet, as if time itself had taken a pause to reflect on the year gone by. A steaming cup of coffee warmed my hands, and despite the cold, I felt a spark of excitement building inside me. This year, 2025, would be different. I had made countless resolutions in the past—promises to eat healthier, exercise regularly, and break bad habits—but none had ever ignited my soul like the one I was about to make.
By Badhan Sen2 years ago in Motivation
Through The Eye Of My iPhone. Honorable Mention in New Year, New Projects Challenge.
For the last year I genuinely had been in a writing slump, and it gets really discouraging when you don't feel like you can open up your laptop. For me it's been either all or nothing. Personally I can crank out a essay super fast, because writing for me has always come naturally. In fact in high school, one of our English class options we could do was creative writing in lieu of a normal English Lit class.
By Kayla Lindley2 years ago in Motivation
Still Standing
I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. There are two reasons why I don’t. The first one is that the very centre of winter is no time to start important long-term projects. It’s dark, it’s cold, and the only sensible way of dealing with these facts is to wrap myself in yet another blanket while sipping hot tea. The only sensible reason to slip out my hand from under that blanket is to turn the page in the book I’m reading. Important new projects can wait until spring.
By K.D. Popiel2 years ago in Motivation
You Are Enough
Have you ever felt like you’re not enough? Maybe you’ve been striving to meet expectations at work, in relationships, or even within yourself, only to feel like you’re falling short. If that resonates with you, I want to remind you of something life-changing: You are enough. Not because of what the world says, but because of what God says.
By Arise With Anya!2 years ago in Motivation
Why Is Self-Care Important for Nursing Students
Nursing students' lives are very challenging. It's common for them to feel stressed and burned out when they try to balance schoolwork, clinical training, and personal duties. In this article, we will discuss why self-care is important for nursing students and how it can improve their general quality of life, academic success, and mental health.
By Bloom Boldly2 years ago in Motivation
Don't Hold Your Breath for It, Breathe It into Life. . Runner-Up in New Year, New Projects Challenge.
So many people will say that you can’t before you even begin. It’s too hard, too unlikely. The odds are against you. They don’t say to give up on your dreams, just put them to the side. They told me I could be a writer, but it might have to only be on the weekends. It was more important to find a job that pays the bills.
By Samantha Smith2 years ago in Motivation
Mr. Lemme Sew
We all experience times when life feels shattered—moments when doubt, fear, and insecurity whisper lies about our worth. In these seasons, it’s easy to believe we’re beyond repair, unworthy of love, or incapable of success. But just as a master tailor carefully restores a torn garment, God specializes in mending the brokenness in our lives. Through His love and grace, He not only restores us but reveals the incredible value we’ve always had. This is how we rediscover our worth and step into the confidence He’s called us to embrace.
By Arise With Anya!2 years ago in Motivation
My Big One
This is the year I leave all the distractions, doubt, negative thoughts and manipulative people in the past. I'm moving into this year with the intention of finishing my novel and publishing it, this is the year I focus my mind on learning more about investing in rental properties, this is the year I start my journey to becoming a multi-millionaire and a best selling author. This year I will be working out and eating healthier than I did last year. Some people will read this and think "that's a bit of a stretch don't you think?" I know it's a big dream that will require a lot of effort and time, but you don't know me. I'm determined, driven and passionate; I've been through a hell of a lot in 2024. I've been beatened and battered and it only made me stronger. I've sat in the dark waiting for something or someone to save me; it's time for me to take charge and save myself.
By Nala2 years ago in Motivation
The Year Of Distribution . Honorable Mention in New Year, New Projects Challenge.
Come January, it is with great enthusiasm that myriad folks welcome the new year filled with ambitious resolutions and expectations. Many seek financial improvement, others to introduce healthier activities and habits into their daily routines while some may look to find more profound meaning to mere mortal life; marriage, for instance, or career growth and educational accomplishments. This year, I include myself amongst seeking aspects of life with more substance, of some conspicuous worth and value. In 2025, with a reinvigorated confidence in my writing and its worth amongst the abundance of written content out there, I am committed to broaden and grow my presence on Vocal while contributing to the national narrative by routinely sharing my work on the platform.
By Jose Antonio Soto2 years ago in Motivation