_{^{Re-evaluating a writing future.}}

Nothing but fresh air has arisen from this blog for over a month now as I’ve busied myself establishing a Substack and with a writing course. I’m happy though to at last get back to my own writing ways, on Gardening Ways, where you find me re-evaluating my writing future.

Writing for me has steadily grown over the last decade since taking to blogging platforms, initially to help with promotion of my workplaces and to share my love of horticulture, gardens, nature and more. Throughout the years of blogging, I do think that I didn’t quite grasp the creative path I was in fact pursuing, both through my gardening and online activity, so whether through plants, words or pictures, I was simply happy to be toying with them.

Gardening aside, assembling images and text and posting to social media has occupied many hours of my so-called spare time, maybe too many. Oftentimes, I’d rise early

to write before my family were awake, and sit up late playing with sentences until, often bleary eyed, I felt ready to hit publish. Sometimes I published just to release myself from the cycle of editing and re-editing; “just post it, be done with it and get yourself to bed” I’d think to myself.

Now, after many articles have been sent out into the world, I can see that aside from being just an artistic endeavour, blogging has presented me with an opportunity to say something, to contribute, and that is important to me. Yet somehow, I still feel the need to push my creativity further, hence creating this post to publicly confirm an intention. I shall continue to see myself as a gardener and horticulturalist for sure, but I shall now state with bravado, and a little trepidation, that I’m a writer too, and that one day, if a fair wind blows me in the right direction, I wish to become a published author.

As for my journey through the last few weeks, I’ve been busy splicing lengthy work trips with family and school holidays, endeavouring to catch up with long awaited webinars, and have carved out time for my course too. It’s been a drain if I’m honest, and my energy is heavily depleted, but it’s been a delight too. Despite still having much coursework to complete, I’ve loved joining in with and being part of such a supportive group.

I have been taking part in a Book Proposal Masterclass, hosted by the talented author

Beth Kempton, who’s book ‘The Way of The Fearless Writer’ first pushed me to think more carefully about my writing. In the wake of the course, I’ve yet to really process its impact, so heavy has been the flow of other work. The way in which I approach my writing though, has now changed. Whilst the world may hardly have noticed my absence from posting articles, I’ve been busy adjusting my take on the world of writing.

Emotions may settle in a while as I recalibrate, but my whole outlook has changed. Day to day I’m feeling that other tasks and my usual work is just getting in the way of writing, so I’ll need to balance that out. I feel as though my book dream has become a possibility; I just need to make it happen. 

There’s a changed person that now sits behind this keyboard, someone with a new and more creative writing mindset. Sure, I’m not going to produce a book over night, so I do have my feet planted firmly on the ground, but I’m here, just outside basecamp, staking my claim.

Thanks to Beth and the wonderfully supportive masterclass writing community, if you find me vacant for a while, you can rest assured that I’ll most likely be working or thinking on my book.

Kind regards,

Gary, 

Gardening Ways, Writing Ways.