I have an announcement.
I’m in a new romance, and I am completely smitten!
No, not with a person.
No, this one is spiritual. Restorative. (And doesn’t leave dishes in the sink or forget the thing I asked for 3 times.)
I’ve fallen in love with writing.
Not the idea of writing. Not a journal bought in a fit of seasonal optimism and promptly abandoned after three entries. Not a productivity app promising to “capture my brilliance” while I spiral into font selection.
No, I mean the act. The clatter of keys. The moment a sentence finally stops behaving like a puppy on espresso. The odd alchemy where clarity meets chaos and makes something new.
And it’s been going on for a while.
Because the truth is, I’ve been writing longer than I’ve been doing most things. Longer than I’ve been working. Longer than I’ve been drinking coffee (barely). Long enough to build a SKILL that feels like muscle memory and magic.
But something’s changed lately.
Because I’ve started sharing my thoughts. Not just the buttoned-up versions of the past.
But the weird bits. The wanderings. The parts of me that are too curly and too caffeinated to show up in a staff meeting.
And you know what happened? My world OPENED.
People I’d never met suddenly met me. My NETWORK expanded. Not just in numbers, but in soul. The kinds of humans who make you question your assumptions (Heidi Kirby, PhD). That write back (Nicole Papaioannou Lugara, PhD), invite you to their gigs (Frank Levesque, SPHR), and that you look forward to seeing at your next event (Dawn Walker-Elders, CPTD, CVA (she/her). These are people who know how to be curious!
I didn’t expect it.
And I certainly didn’t plan for it.
But that’s the thing about love.
You never really see it coming until you’re halfway in and don’t want to turn around.
So yes, it’s an ACTIVITY. A practice. A form of self-KNOWLEDGE that lets me see who I’ve been, who I’m becoming, and what I might be brave enough to say next.
(See how I snuck in SNAK there? Because this is all the things!)
And no, I’m not giving it up anytime soon.
Because in a world of chaos, writing is as important to me as my favorite city, my “just do it” playlist, and my overpriced, but absolutely worth-it, mountain bike.
Now your thing might not be writing. It might be coding, kayaking, or baking 72-hour sourdough loaves you refuse to share with anyone who says “carbs.”
It might be taking pictures, doing nail art, or turning spreadsheets into visual art (which—respect).
Whatever it is, embrace it. Because the world will tell you that your value lives in deliverables.
But sometimes your most important work won’t show up on a resume, it’ll show up in how you feel after its done. Steady. Clear. A little breathless. Smitten. 😉
So, what’s the thing you’re a little in love with right now, professionally or personally? The thing that somehow makes you make sense?
Drop it in the comments. (And hey, if it’s spreadsheets, I promise not to judge. Much.)
