The Permission to Create series

I'm nearly to the middle of audio edits on the Permission to Create audio series. And honestly, it makes me so happy to be editing this!

Audio edits tend to put me to sleep. Not in a "wow, my voice is so boring it encourages unconsciousness" but the way I have to listen and adjust and somehow NOT be thinking about other things at the same time. It just doesn't work. I have to focus on the audio edits and tell my ever-busy mind to shut up for a while, and that is hard. What can I say, I'm a multitasker!

These audio edits are different, however. Perhaps because I've had to tell myself each and every one of them at different times in my writing life.

• Permission to begin before I felt ready, before I had the entire scope of the book I wanted to write in my head.

• Permission to be imperfect. Not to have the right words or perfect prose from the get go.

• Permission to rest. That's a biggie. I picture myself constantly in movement, to stop feels antithetical to my nature, and yet, it's becoming more and more necessary.

• Permission to not know yet. Not know how the story ends. Not know if the Kickstarter will be successful. Not know if my story will be attractive to a podcaster. So many unknowns!

• Permission to make a mess. Beginnings are messy as hell, and yet, sometimes they contain the gold nuggets upon what everything else is built.

• Permission to finish. To accept that perfection does not exist, that there will always be a twist of phrase, or plot, that might make it better, but that it is time to release the work in progress and let it change in some small or great way those who will read my words.

• Permission to receive acknowledgment, even admiration or praise for my work.

It felt like the perfect addition to the Compass of Creation - a brainstorm that morphed into creating an audio-only version of my thoughts, struggles and breakthroughs for other creatives to listen to and benefit from. It feels like acknowledgment, inspiration and reassurance, all wrapped up together.

Eleven permissions. I'm sure I could have found more had I kept at it, but those eleven were at the top of my brain.

How often do we stop ourselves before we have really begun? Or allow our creative energy to peter out right before the end?

Those were my questions that led to the Permission to Create audio series.

It will be part of the Kickstarter, which is in its pre-launch stage. Click on the Remind Me button there on Kickstarter and you will be notified once the project goes live. I anticipate this happening by mid-July at the latest.

The audio edits should be done by the end of this week, if not sooner. Here is a link to the Kickstarter video for the Compass of Creation. Please share it with your favorite creative!