More than a Testimony: A Tale of Inspirational Origin
And so, my path became writing. It had always been there—through journaling, but it wasn’t until years later when I was tasked with copywriting during my years in Marketing that my interest piqued. Telling a story in just a few words or lines to capture and convince the reader, while holding true meaning, became an inspirational challenge. Though my life moved in different directions, developing my writing stayed on my wish-list for many years. It found its way back to me through blogging for various projects I contributed to after my retirement. One of these projects was Life Force; a project that has brought a great deal to me personally. I was not only able to contribute my knowledge and skills to the project, but also tap into my own cancer experience to co-design and consult in the development of the program; a fulfilling experience and welcome outlet for my creativity.
In my project role I too was able to arrive at the aspired objectives - validating the universality of the project. The experience was not only insightful, but also extremely inspirational. Witnessing the various cancer journeys of the participants in the Life Force project of No-Mads Collective brought recognition and recollection. Seeing the project organically develop and watching participants co-create artistically provided space for personal reflection, in-depth soul searching, and a reframing of my own reality. Blogging about it proved cathartic. After 5 years of unconsciously ‘holding my breath’ for whatever was looming 'out there', it was time to exhale, once again let go and redirect. By mapping out my own path and translating this into universal truths, I was able to unlock my creativity and explore new directions. In this creative process, I discovered that it is the personal truth that catalyzes ‘emotion to motion’, contained in a driving force that pushes us to move forward. Identifying this personal truth is where the true challenge lies, and where the journey continues.
The Life Force project not only gave me renewed clarity regarding my strengths and pitfalls of living with cancer, but it also helped me rediscover my preferred art form and determine my next steps. Herein lies the origin of my journey into creative writing. Through my writing, I share reflections on curiosity, human nature, and the art of navigating 'unknown territory.' Stepping out of my comfort zone is an opportunity to move into new directions and unlock new discoveries. Experimenting with different writing styles, I once again take on the inspirational challenge of telling a story with conviction and true meaning. Taking something 'old' and turning it into something 'new' will always bring beautiful and transformational discoveries. This is my testament to the fact that continuous improvement and personal development can be discovered in everything we do, in any hardship we face.
After 2020 rewrote my life when medical challenges brought my professional career to a close, I shifted focus to a purpose-driven life. Now dedicated to personal development and reflective expression, I believe that while we don't always choose our opening lines, we always hold the pen for the chapters that follow.