I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before! I’m a big believer in “asking the universe,” and verbally putting my dreams out there, thus solidifying my intentions to achieve those dreams. But I could’ve been “asking the Jooniverse” this whole time. In a way, I guess that IS what I’ve been doing.

I’ve been reading The Artist’s Way, written by Julia Cameron. The book has been around for over 25 years and those who’ve read it sing its praises. “It changed my life!” “It made me the artist I am today!” “I used it as kindling, and it saved my life!” People LOVE this book.

Personally, it’s been a reinforcement of what I already practice—asking the universe (or as Julia says to ask the creative God), believing in self-worth, believing in play, and staying away from toxic people who—intentionally or not—knock down my dreams because they feel their dreams have been blocked. I’ve adopted what she calls the Morning Pages, which are three handwritten pages of thoughts put down in a notebook every morning. I am proud to say that I’ve kept my streak since July when I started. The Morning Pages, as she says in the book, have sprung up creativity, desires, and dreams, one of which has led me to start a blog.

To be a writer, I must write.

I’ve been reading pages from my journal to my partner of all my past entries about her—first dates, first time we kissed, going out to clubs, meeting her friends, making dinner together, etc. But the feelings were SO wonderfully raw and fun to read. That’s what I want for this blog—to explore, to reminisce, and to keep writing, so I can eventually find my “voice” and write as I speak but maybe more focused.

Marc Maron credits the time he spent talking about his cat, Monkey, as his way of finding his comedic voice. That was inspiring. Having to talk I think in the talk of mundane everyday, he couldn’t help but find what made him happy, sad, angry, etc, and able to turn that into talk radio. Everything from his mouth became effortless.

Writing will always be a struggle. But I don’t want to dread my first drafts anymore. I want to playfully dig in and write furiously, THEN look back and judge my writing. The biggest hurdle is getting over the feeling that my writing’s not good as I’m doing it. But if it’s my voice, there isn’t any other way to write it, so I may as well try to type as quickly as I think—then go back later to fine-tune it. What comes out of my head, onto my fingertips, to the page is correct at the time it needs to be.

Jooniverse, I beseech thee: Showeth me a path to my “voice!”