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A Lesson on Beginning

A Lesson on Beginning
Categories Working Remotely

    I once had a drawing teacher that taught me a very important life lesson. Once all of us were in the room, with our charcoal sets at the ready, he told us to very carefully rip a new piece of sketch paper out of our books.

    But – carefully now – because we didn’t want to wrinkle or tear the edges of something that would so heavily impact our grades!

    The sound of ripping construction paper filled the room as the sun slowly began to peak through the windows of our 8 a.m. drawing class. Still half asleep, he told us that now was the time to begin. That, in front of us on our easels, was our next great creation. After 15 minutes of detailed deliverables and project guidelines, most of us were so weighted with the importance of what stood before us, that we hesitated to put charcoal to paper.

    Then, our teacher told us to rip the paper off the easel and throw it on the ground, stomping on it with our dirty shoes.

    Lessons on Beginning

    That’s right, smash a big ‘ol footprint right in the middle of our carefully selected, white drawing paper – the dirtier the better.

    But, why?

    Because it’s easier to face something that has already been started, that can only be improved upon. The pressure of mis-drawing a line was gone, once a dirty footprint sat where our artwork would be. We could improve upon the current design, or chose to make something completely different that masked the dirt, so that the footprint was no longer the focal point. No matter our intentions, though, we had just effectively eliminated that beginning step.

    How many times have you not started something because it wasn’t the right time, put off a business endeavor so long that it was no longer relevant, or wasted a year publishing your new website because it wasn’t perfect yet? (Don’t worry; I’m guilty of all of the above, too).

    The fear of starting, is crippling. I know, I’m a professional writer, and this plagues me almost daily. But this is the real world – we have deadlines and timelines – and the only way to finish a project is to start it.

    So, I’m dedicating this entire month just to starting, and I started by joining NaNoWriMo.

    Lessons on Beginning

    It’s National Novel Writing Month: a pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days for no other reason than to do it. The rules are simple: quality or not, just submit all original words to complete the challenge. The only quota is word count. No marketing initiatives, no data, no specific education or background needed, for we are all equals in the word-counting NaNo algorithm.

    With a blank page to fill every morning, you could say this is the ultimate antidote for writer’s block.

    For me, this is a very refreshing idea. It’s been a minute since I sat down and wrote something with no objective. Just because I enjoy it.

    As a writer, I’ve used my talent to help brands connect with heir audiences. To create a story that transcends revenue incentives and corporate policy to connect with consumers on an emotional level. Storytelling, evoking emotions, opening a window to someone else’s world and bringing people together through words – that’s what I do.

    And I love it.

    Lessons on Beginning

    But for one month, I’m focusing on where the words take me (look at me, I’m already getting dreamy with it). I think I’ll travel the world and go back to those places I’ve visited, rewrite the story and share it with the world. It might turn out great, and you could be reading the next Great American novel, or I might just have a bit of content stocked up for my blog. The beauty is, that it doesn’t really matter.

    The challenge is simple to write 50,000 words of anything. And, odds are, something will come of it.

    Wanna join me? CLICK HERE to set up a profile and add me as a friend!

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            About Me

            Photo I'm Averi!
            I'm Averi!

            Bicycle Explorer. Curious Mind.

            I've known for awhile now I want to embark on a bike ride of epic proportions. I've known for even longer that I want to do something meaningful with life, something that really impacts people.

            So, where do I begin?

            1. Figure out what it takes to bicycle around the world - gear, routes, bicycles, etc.

            2. Spread happiness wherever I go.

            I'm not sure where exactly this will take me, but I do know this: I want to focus on the human experience - giving words to other people's stories & helping them in a way that benefits them, with no expectation of anything in return.

            I want to bicycle and ask one simple question of people: What's your bliss?

            This is my little project in this big world. Thank you for being a part of it.

            Never miss an adventure

            @thepedalproject

            • Bariloche has some of the most accessible trails I’ve ever seen. And not just casual-stroll-through-the-neighborhood trails. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nope 👎🏼 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Real mountain hikes with epic views and bright blue lakes. They are extremely well marked (very easy to do this on your own - perfect for solo travelers) and can all be found on barilochetrekking.com.You can sort by:* Distance* Difficulty* Duration (multi day or day hike)Then - and this is truly the best part - you can take PUBLIC BUSES right to the trail head, or very close by. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Write down that website and extend your stay in Bariloche, people! It’s more than a 1-day stop to get food and gear before heading further south in Patagonia.
            • I decided to take a rest from IG on a Friday, and then it turned into a long weekend and then a weeklong vacation. And then, when I looked up I noticed it had been a month. 😝😝 I’ve been traveling for me.  Discovering places without worrying about how they’ll look on a feed and getting my creativity back. I don’t like to talk about #bucketlist places because that word kind of makes me cringe a bit (idk why??), but I have to say Patagonia is damn close to one if there ever was. I’ve been reading travel memories and drooling over this place for almost a decade. And now here I am and it just didn’t feel right sulley my first view by having it be through an iPhone screen. Ya know? Plus, it was E-A-S-Y to not log into Instagram. Like, scary easy. I didn’t plan it. I got busy packing and prepping (and, you know, running a business) and then I just.....forgot. Sure, for a few days I missed it and I had fleeting thoughts here and there on a mountain top of which preset would look 💯. But then, like that on again off again relationship you finally left and never looked back on, I just forgot about it and realized my life is really damn great on it’s own. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀So, here’s the update: I’m over here in Patagonia 🙋🏼‍♀️. Where the lakes are the bluest I’ve ever seen and the mountains 🏔 are just begging to be climbed. It took 2 weeks of prep, plus re-buying most my gear here (more on that coming soon), 1 month of travel, and a few side trips, and I still feel like I’m just dipping my toes in. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀📸: @dani_gonzalez1217_
            • Lara Croft or Indiana Jones? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I love it when a place makes me feel like I’m somewhere right out of the movies. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀One last photo of the Malacara Volcano 🌋 before I show you some other stuff I’ve been doing in Mendoza and Buenos Aires this summer. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.....#argentina_ig #discoverargentina #hiking_my_life #girlswhohike #southamericatravel #solotravelers #malargüe #volcanmalacara #volcanoes #getoutstayout #earthpix
            • Summer livin’ ☀️ 🌊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I never considered myself a ‘surfer’ until I started traveling in South America and the grand majority of bodies of water here are pools. Which are wonderful, but calm. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I do know there are some great places to go here, though! I’m just hanging out in the other parts 😝. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Until I catch my first South American wave (which is las olas, pronounced the same as “hola”, which I love), I miss those California beaches and the post surf tacos. But not just any taco. The ones @citytacossd makes. The way they’re supposed to be. The stuff dreams are made of. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀If you dream of tacos, that is. 🌮🤩

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