Thirty last days to grow and reform.
June Renew was the first writing challenge I ever began on this blog. It started as a way to dry up from what I considered too much THC use, and gain a little clarity without the cloudiness. I don’t think I actually completed that goal, much like I didn’t complete this past April’s goal (sorry for not recapping, I’ll explain later). But that set off a running theme throughout these challenges. And I’ll be doing it again. For at least one more June, anyway.
I enjoy writing. I think I’m good at it. I’ve found a groove within my theming. But this blog has specifically become dedicated to the challenges, which makes me feel like I have nothing to show for in the between months. I get so burned out from the fast-paced free-for-all entries that I choose not to focus on other subjects that may come to mind. And I think the only way to change this dynamic is by saying goodbye to these challenges one at a time.
The four year mark seems to make sense. Four seasons. Four fiscal quarters. Four letters in June. It’s just time. It’s time to shelve this anthology dedicated to the past four Junes, so it may make way for another use of my words.
These challenges have just become a bit of a slog rather than a passion project. I don’t feel I’m putting in enough care the craft deserves. I’m just cramming and slamming in order to reach my deadline. It’s why I didn’t recap April Awakening. I just didn’t feel like the month was worth it. I didn’t get out what I wanted to, and it felt better to forget rather than revisit. It’d be different if I could dedicate all my time to this writing, but as long as my funding comes from an outside job, I simply cannot. So again, we try new things to bring the writing to the next level and perhaps get me to a place where I’m the one writing my own checks.
First off, I will write here every day. I’ll tell you a story, I’ll talk about my day. It’ll be something, and it’ll be good. Next, I’m not going to smoke while alone. No more coming home after work and taking hits. I’ve got other things to do. All bets are off when I’m with my friends, though. Third, I’ve got to leave the house for thirty minutes a day. I don’t necessarily need to be outside the entire time, but I just need some space outside my 450 square feet. Whether that’s sitting in a park or bringing my laptop to a brewery for a pint, I just gotta go. And lastly, I will complete one three-week workout challenge within the month. I’m giving myself some wiggle room as the sequence I have in mind doesn’t require daily workouts, but I need to find a little more consistency in order to get toned up. It’s never too late for bikini season, I hope.
And there you have it. One more June to really transform things, one I promise right here and now that I will recap within a week after it ends. I will do everything I can to not just slap these next thirty days together, especially if it really is the last of the June Renews. I want to make sure these count so I can set myself up to do the longform writing I’ve always desired to do. I’ve been reading a lot more lately which certainly helps, and puts me in a place to know where I want to take my talents. But I’m not going to just abandon what I’ve set up here without telling you.
Not all these challenges began in 2021, so there’s still a lot more months of writing to be read. But get ready to see the book covers close on these upcoming months, at least until I find a new collection to curate.
See you Saturday.