For me it’s been a journey already. As 2021 was winding down and I was gearing up for 2022, I felt pumped about what I was planning for the new year. I’d gotten out one of my beautiful notebooks, written out my goals, and wholeheartedly committed to working toward them. Of course we can plan and plan, but if life has something else in store we can suddenly find ourselves on a rollercoaster we didn’t agree to get on.

That’s exactly where I found myself this month. All those well-made plans went haywire and I found myself at a loss in many ways, including creatively.

“I can’t see a way through”, said the boy. “Can you see your next step?" “Yes” “Just take that”, said the horse. -The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Carlie Macksey

I couldn’t see my way through the mess that swirled around me, but I could see my next step. I focused on that, and it made all the difference.

It can be overwhelming to look at the stormy path ahead or at the seemingly endless list of "to dos”, but remember if you shift your view to your next step, one step at a time, you’ll soon find you’ve made it through to the end. This bit of wisdom is applicable for creative projects, everyday chores, and life in general, so put it in your pocket for later, adventurer. Just in case you find yourself in need of refocusing.

What I found interesting about this video is that Carlie Macksey starts off by describing the book. When he tries to elaborate on the narrative he has some trouble, eventually saying, “It’s a bit like trying to describe a cat. If you’ve never seen or met a cat it’s quite hard to describe.” Later, when talking about what his hopes for the book, he had no trouble expressing what he hoped people got out of it. Take a little time and watch the video. You may find it inspiring in one way or another.

But when you think of it in the scope of refocusing from the overwhelming project or the rollercoaster of life, a myopic view isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes looking just at the next step ahead of you is what will see you through to the end.

One step at a time, Adventurer. You’ve got this.

Your CREATIVE MISSION, if you choose to accept, is to write or sketch a short piece that is inspired by this image:

Approach it like a child approaches play. No one has to see it. Create with freedom. I believe in you adventurer!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions you can reach me at victoria@make-believepress.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Be kind to yourself, Adventurer. You deserve it.

-Victoria

P.S. Photo Credits: The photo of the “take life one step at a time” graffiti is by Kevin Luke. The stormy path photo was by Jonathan Bowers. The photo of the doorway is by Hassan Ghasemi. All three were found on Unsplash. The YouTube screen shot of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Carlie Macksey video was taken by me. The Word of the Month’ image was made by me.

If you haven't done so already, you can get a look at “The World Is Full Of A**holes” by going to the secret page “Cellar Door” on Make-Believe Press' website and using the password “Magicword” to gain access