When You Are Lifted Up
Is #SundayGratitude a thing on social media? Because I think it should be. Today I’m feeling incredibly grateful for the community that social media has brought me. It has lifted me up. Let me explain?
Indulge me with a little backstory: I do not have an MFA. I have wished I could pursue an MFA. I’ve had more detours in my writing career that I care to expand upon at the moment. But that elusive, that exclusive MFA … it taunted me.
Then, this fall when I was immersing myself in a Writerly World leading up to NaNoWriMo, I discovered Gabriela Pereira. Gabriela has a program on a DIY MFA that I was instantly drawn to. She talks about, and has her website organized by, some basic pillar needs of any good MFA candidate:
Write with Focus
Read with Purpose
Build your Community
Now, pillars #1 and #2 were no-brainers for me. But pillar #3 … that was going to be tricky. I work full-time outside the writing industry, in a field that often takes me on business trips. I still have a child living at home (my other children have basically left the nest and live quite independently but this youngest child of mine, she still needs me and my attention and I want to give her all that and more). Oh, and I have a husband, who still loves me a lot and wants to spend time with me.
I try to attend a monthly book club. I try to attend a weekly bible study. I try to see my parents a few times a month as they are aging and I know my time with them is priceless. And now I’m going to try to find time to engage with a local writing community? HOW WILL THAT EVEN BE POSSIBLE!?!
This is where I head back to social media, folks. I hope you are glad you stayed with me.
I rejoined Twitter on 11/9/19, convicted of a writing focus. I had tired of the shouting in my other Twitterverse and it’s “white collar career self-promoting marketing machine” feel. And I want to rebuild my identity as a writer. It was hibernating; it’s waking up, ready to join the land of the living and breathing.
On November 9th I created a new Twitter account. I posted. I followed a few people. Then, I posted again on the 14th. Then on the 19th I engaged more, feeling my way around the #writingcommunity. Some retweets, some likes and replies, I followed a few people in a #WriterLift.
Then on November 22nd, that’s about 36 HOURS AGO, I took a deep breath and asked for a #WriterLift. I’m now at over 700 followers, organically achieved from that effort. I asked my husband to help me manage my feed as I was feeling overwhelmed, wanting to connect to each and every person that was lifting me up. (I’m behind on that, by the way. If you are one of my new followers, please stay with me. I’ll try to find and follow you all back in time.) My husband suggested I download TweetDeck from the App store on my Mac and now … I’m feeling so inspired and supported by virtual strangers who aren’t strangers at all.
I have learned that when one writer succeeds we all do.
I have learned that when one writer hurts we feel a hurt of our own.
I have learned that when you ask you do receive (thank you for that little nugget, God).
I have learned that I am not alone … nor are you.
So … #SundayGratitude … that’s what’s in my heart and on my mind. I have been lifted up virtually, which has lifted me up mentally and emotionally. Thank you, new friends and followers.