I relate to this one so badly. The thought of being the "first" one to finish, to escape the dark, messy forest, to swim out of the swarming waves; it's like a race that was never held, a race with no other participants other than yourself. And because of rushing, we often forget about the quality of our work.
I had this essay project months ago. Before I started working on it, I had the big picture, the main idea of what I wanted my essay to be sitting on top of my head. And the longer it sat there, the more I got to know it, and the more I unfolded its sides.
Tatiana, thank you for reading and for sharing - I love the way you describe how your essay idea unfolded as you gave it more space, time, oxygen. It's such a nurturing way to work.
Having been in the messy middle of my upcoming project for far longer than I initially anticipated I’m finding a lot of solace in these words.
I’ve always been one to move quickly when it comes to creative projects, for many years I sped from one to another so quickly that I barely gave myself a chance to breathe.
This latest project has been a humbling lesson for me, it has shown me the alchemy that unfolds when we enter a season of rest. It has also created space for the self-doubt I’ve realised I was always running from to surface. It’s been incredibly disconcerting in moments but I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity it’s given me to witness what I had been working on with new eyes.
Laura, I totally understand how it feels to be immersed in a project that sprawls out and feels like it has no end. And yes, sometimes the longer we sit with things, the more we reflect, the more chances we give self-doubt and self-criticism to rise to the surface. Instead of repressing those voices, I have been trying to look at them with detached curiosity. What do they teach us about what we are afraid of? The act of having self-compassion, of being forced to push through even when we doubt ourselves, is where we can find so much potential for growth.
Thanks for sharing this, Hannah. I can feel the Chariot energy here.
I wrote a few weeks ago about being in between things, and how I've been finding that these moments seem to end up making sense for me when I look back, even though they felt like a mess at the time.
I love how you talk about sitting with the presence of it. If it's something that's going to make sense eventually, why not appreciate the feeling aspect in the moment?
Thank you for reading and for your support, James! Funny how obvious and clear things often feel during the retrospective phase. It hasn't been easy to learn how to trust that everything is happening as it should - especially when things feel murky and chaotic in that middle phase.
This is extremely relatable. The mess of being in the middle is something I’ve been getting comfortable with myself in recent weeks. I loved how you contrast it with exacting fast-moving experiences in other places. The shift from state and way of being into the other without losing the benefit of the previous is a complex transition and I like the connection to the Chariot card you’ve made here, particularly with it being Cancer Season and just having had a New Moon in Cancer. The Chariot is a fierce protector and nurturer of what matters most forging the way forward with confidence and know-how. Perhaps because the interior of the project is so precious and clear, the Chariot does not hesitate to act when right-opportunity, aligned-possibility presents. And it deftly avoids the pitfalls. This was a timely read! Thank you!
thank you Hughes, this means so much! The Chariot is definitely teaching me how to throttle my speed based on how I'm feeling + what any given project needs. And learning to love the way it feels to move both forwards and backwards when I'm in this middle stage, because sometimes creative work requires unraveling what you've already done. So appreciate your message or support and encouragement!
I relate to this one so badly. The thought of being the "first" one to finish, to escape the dark, messy forest, to swim out of the swarming waves; it's like a race that was never held, a race with no other participants other than yourself. And because of rushing, we often forget about the quality of our work.
I had this essay project months ago. Before I started working on it, I had the big picture, the main idea of what I wanted my essay to be sitting on top of my head. And the longer it sat there, the more I got to know it, and the more I unfolded its sides.
Thank you for this, Hannah.
Tatiana, thank you for reading and for sharing - I love the way you describe how your essay idea unfolded as you gave it more space, time, oxygen. It's such a nurturing way to work.
So beautifully expressed — both this comment and this post. Very Chariot for sure.
Beautiful 🤍
thank you! means so much 🦋
Having been in the messy middle of my upcoming project for far longer than I initially anticipated I’m finding a lot of solace in these words.
I’ve always been one to move quickly when it comes to creative projects, for many years I sped from one to another so quickly that I barely gave myself a chance to breathe.
This latest project has been a humbling lesson for me, it has shown me the alchemy that unfolds when we enter a season of rest. It has also created space for the self-doubt I’ve realised I was always running from to surface. It’s been incredibly disconcerting in moments but I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity it’s given me to witness what I had been working on with new eyes.
Laura, I totally understand how it feels to be immersed in a project that sprawls out and feels like it has no end. And yes, sometimes the longer we sit with things, the more we reflect, the more chances we give self-doubt and self-criticism to rise to the surface. Instead of repressing those voices, I have been trying to look at them with detached curiosity. What do they teach us about what we are afraid of? The act of having self-compassion, of being forced to push through even when we doubt ourselves, is where we can find so much potential for growth.
Thanks for sharing this, Hannah. I can feel the Chariot energy here.
I wrote a few weeks ago about being in between things, and how I've been finding that these moments seem to end up making sense for me when I look back, even though they felt like a mess at the time.
I love how you talk about sitting with the presence of it. If it's something that's going to make sense eventually, why not appreciate the feeling aspect in the moment?
Appreciate you.
Thank you for reading and for your support, James! Funny how obvious and clear things often feel during the retrospective phase. It hasn't been easy to learn how to trust that everything is happening as it should - especially when things feel murky and chaotic in that middle phase.
This is extremely relatable. The mess of being in the middle is something I’ve been getting comfortable with myself in recent weeks. I loved how you contrast it with exacting fast-moving experiences in other places. The shift from state and way of being into the other without losing the benefit of the previous is a complex transition and I like the connection to the Chariot card you’ve made here, particularly with it being Cancer Season and just having had a New Moon in Cancer. The Chariot is a fierce protector and nurturer of what matters most forging the way forward with confidence and know-how. Perhaps because the interior of the project is so precious and clear, the Chariot does not hesitate to act when right-opportunity, aligned-possibility presents. And it deftly avoids the pitfalls. This was a timely read! Thank you!
thank you Hughes, this means so much! The Chariot is definitely teaching me how to throttle my speed based on how I'm feeling + what any given project needs. And learning to love the way it feels to move both forwards and backwards when I'm in this middle stage, because sometimes creative work requires unraveling what you've already done. So appreciate your message or support and encouragement!