Spring Equinox Writing Challenge Day 5: Growth

‘A writer is like a gardener. He plants the seed and then goes back to water it over and over again.’

– Paulo Coelho

Reaching for the Light

The green shoots of spring represent vulnerability and courage – tender growth pushing bravely towards the light. These early efforts appear fragile but possess remarkable resilience, advancing their growth despite cold snaps and late frosts. Our initial creative efforts share this quality; they may seem delicate and imperfect, yet they contain tremendous vitality. First drafts, early attempts at new techniques, or ventures into unfamiliar genres all require the courage to be vulnerable. Honour your green shoots, those early efforts that precede polished work. Without them, no creative flowering is possible; growth in your writing practice comes with persistence and determination persistence.

The mindful writer recognises that growth isn't always visible on the surface. Just as plants develop complex underground root systems before reaching skywards, our creative practice often deepens in ways that aren't immediately apparent. Those moments of struggle – when words feel clumsy or ideas refuse to coalesce – are precisely when our creative roots are strengthening. Each sentence written, each revision attempted, each journal entry completed lays down another filament in our literary root system.

Aim to approach your writing with curious attention rather than harsh judgement – observe your patterns, notice your resistance, and gently guide yourself back to the page without criticism. This allows you to be present with the work as it unfolds, rather than fixating on outcomes or comparing your growth, and your creative output, to others. When we write mindfully, we honour the process itself – the quiet miracle of thoughts opening up as words, sentences branching into paragraphs, fragments blooming into stories.

Growth requires both effort and surrender. We must show up consistently, provide the conditions for creativity to flourish – regular time, supportive environment, nourishing influences – while simultaneously releasing attachment to pre-specified outcomes. Just as a gardener cannot force a plant to bloom, we cannot command inspiration or dictate the precise shape our work will take. Instead, we tend to the practice with patience and faith, trusting that growth happens in its own perfect way.

Remember that growth is rarely linear. Your writing practice will experience seasons – periods of abundant production, times of apparent dormancy, cycles of revision and renewal. A mindful approach embraces these rhythms rather than resisting them, finding lessons in each phase of the creative journey.

Writing Exercise

Write about a character taking their first steps into something new: a skill, a relationship, an environment, or an identity. Focus on capturing the vulnerability and challenge of personal growth, and the quiet determination of new beginnings. As you write, practice mindfulness by noticing your own emotional responses to the character's journey, and allow those insights to inform your portrayal.

Journalling Prompt

Think back to your writing practice a year ago, a month ago, a week ago: how have you grown as a writer? In your writing life? How have your themes evolved, your voice strengthened, your technical skills developed? What obstacles have you overcome? Where do you still feel tender and uncertain?

Identify the ‘green shoots’ in your current practice – those new elements that feel vulnerable yet vital. How can you nurture these tender beginnings and allow them to grow stronger? What conditions do you need to create to support your continued growth? What mindful practices might help you remain present with your writing through challenges and breakthroughs alike?

Today’s Affirmation

‘I embrace the cycles of my writing practice, finding value in both flourishing and fallow periods.’

Thank you for being part of our Spring Equinox Writing Challenge ~ if you’d like a copy of Spring Affirmations MP3, you can grab it for free here:

Spring Equinox Affirmations

Buy Now