Creating A Guiding Writing Statement

The entire process of creating a statement that summarizes why I write and who I write for has been a challenge. I have had to dig deep into my own experiences, gifts and potential contributions to this world to really create this statement. There are several different formats I have utilized in preparing this statement and each have put a different spin on the issues I choose to focus on. Nonetheless, three years later I feel like I have narrowed down this statement to be something clear and mostly concise.

Hope*Writers (Guided Hope Circle) Format:
Problem: Women are stuck, living in pain, disengaged, in survival mode

Cause: Pain, Disappointed by life circumstances and relationships, Seeing through a lens of pain 

Solution: I provide four practical principles to move them towards a lens of HOPE, which reignites a passion for life. 

I help __________ (describe your reader)

• To _____________(what you help them with) 

• Through ___________(how you help them) 

I help women stuck in survival mode, disengaged and disappointed to move from experiencing life through a lens of pain to a lens of hope by practicing four principles that reignites their passion for life. 

Donald Miller (Story Brand's) Format: 

Problem: Women are stuck, living in pain, disengaged, in survival mode

Today many women (experience life or see) through a lens of pain and are stuck living in survival mode, disengaged and struggling to work through life’s disappointments.

Explain your plan/product to help them: Book

I provide practical/experiential steps for women to move from experiencing life through this lens of pain into a lens of hope 

Describe a successful ending to their story: reigniting a passion for life

to reignite a passion for life, so they can gain energy and build courage to thrive.

Today many women are living in survival mode, disengaged and struggling to work through life’s disappointments. I write about four practical principles that move women from survival mode to thrive mode in shifting from a lens of pain to a lens of hope reigniting their passion for life.

Monday Musings :: Enough

Our minds are dull and sometimes we don't fully understand the entire spectrum of a word.

"Enough" used to summon a lacking feeling in me when I heard it or read it and I directly connected it with "not having enough" or "not being enough".

However, as I have aged, I know see it in a different light.
I have "enough" has become a freeing term for me.
It now summons images of contentment and presence.
It's no longer about a "lack" of anything and more about the fullness.

Quality over quantity.
Are you searching for "enough"?
Might you already have it and simply not know it?

Notes :: TrusT Him completely.

TrusT Him completely.
Pursue everything patiently.

His way - uses delay to develop faith in us...

walk alongside Him

What has God promised you? : not sure :      (RUNWAY LIGHTS)
Practical circumstances
A Council of godly people
inner conviction
confirmation of God's WORD

release from the burden or open the door

Believers in Exile
genuine God-filled life --> talk with Him about where you are & where you want to be (in community - disciplining - practicing humble hospitality) --> feeling love & belonging

God's blessing to fall on our family

(times of refreshing) & restoration & a new hope --> a living hope 

Questions :: Book Writing

What is the WHY for your Book?

Why is it needed right now?

Why are you motivated to write this book?

What next steps do you need to take with your book? --> Proposal or draft

"This is a [What-Genre] that does [What-Transformation] for [Who-Reader] because [Why-Rationale]."
-Ryan Holiday, Perenniel Seller

The Cafe at the Edge of the World by John Strelecky
When Caregiving Calls by Aaron Blight

- Arti's email: bespokewritingfirm@gmail.com

Proposal Template: https://arielcurry.com/category/publishing-2/book-proposals
https://forms.gle/o7tgbD8oDL2qkd2A9

What do you want to contribute to the world?

Write the book that you need to write.

It's ridiculous to think that your art will make 

What transformational journey do you want to go on?

What brings you to life everyday?

What stirs the pot of life in you?

Color

What is the transformation I am inviting the reader/writer into?

Here's what I want to do, here's what I want to make...I don't even know if it will work or if I will receive back what I put it into you.

Valuable Advice

Would you rather be a writer, a therapist or an artist? or a declutter whiz (organizer)? What would you like to contribute to the world?

Do the continual revisions of the paintings that I have done in the past, just copy and then improvise. Take them and transform them.

No one can heal by yourself and no one can create by yourself.

Beta development Tiers (search for more)

Get our of your head and into your body (post publishing)

Take dictation from the silence.

Learnings from Retreat

I am continually amazed by what happens when we leave our environments and our daily rhythms and we GO AWAY. So WORTH IT.

This past weekend I felt seen, knew I was heard and cared for. I didn't have to force any conversations and simply remained curious about the stories of others.

I learned about where I am, who I am and most importantly WHO GOD IS.

Remembering who God is totally puts life into a lens that helps me see...where I fit in this world and in God's story.

We shared and read through scripture and focused on the bigger picture. The PERSPECTIVE that we all need in order to continue in vocational ministry and really in our walk with Jesus Christ regardless of what is happening in our world, in our churches and even in our immediate families.

I am reminded that I am very, VERY hard on myself and expect a lot of myself to the point that I will shut myself down because I have spinning my wheels so-to-speak. If I can't meet my own expectations or intentions then I think in an all-or-nothing mentality that steals my joy and distorts my heart.

I AM NOT ALONE.

I do have other women I can speak with who can relate to my family's experiences as well as my own experience in my marriage. Some of them work outside the home and the church, some are right alongside their husbands or strictly in their homes. 

Some are fully enmeshed in our ministries and some of us are detached living our own lives and walking a parallel path to those in the church. We are real, authentic and completely unique. We all pursue Christ AND it looks different.

In looking at the three most needed and utilized prayers: 

HELP. THANKS. WOW.

I can see that I have been in different seasons where THANKS and WOW were at the center of my prayers. But in this season I feel like HELP sums it up. HELP Lord for us to grow in our marriage, HELP Lord for me to surrender control in my child's life, HELP Lord me to trust you in the direction you desire for me professionally, HELP me see what you want me to see Lord and not be distracted by worry, the shiny things of this life or what could happen.

REST IN GOD

Who is my God? according to this passage?

Joy is "A pervasive and constant sense of well-being that is infused with hope because of the goodness of God." --Dallas Willard.

As I was walking with two women around the frozen lake in the cold wind sharing our stories, one said a phrase that will remain in my heart. It was a phrase that meant so much to me because in my previous work I experienced secondary trauma and remained bewildered as to how to best handle the dynamic of family life, life in general and intense professional work with others.

She said, "Hold their story while you are present, be present, but do not Carry it with you, release it."

YES! YES! Hold in presence but do not carry. We all are accountable to carry our own "stuff". I am prone to carry another woman's heartache or suffering but I cannot do that and also live my own life and walk my own path with God. She has to walk her own path and choose which way she goes. I can't stand there with her and try to help dig her a new path while I try to also go on my own with God.

"Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is,

and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls." ~Jeremiah 

Have HOPE IN THE LORD --> New Beginnings -- New Stories ==> New Adventures

6 D's that Derail Us from our Walks with God
- Doubt -> Disillusioned -> Distorted -> Discouraged -> Depression -> Despair

What is it that Keeps Us going? 

REMEMBER...
His faithfulness...
His promises...
His provision...
His comfort

Survival Strategies for the Long Haul - How Do We Finish Well?
These were so good and so helpful.

 

What's In a Title?

TITLE

• Say/imply who the book is for
• Tell the reader what they will get out of the book
• Catch the reader’s attention
• Avoid being cute or gimmicky

From Hurt to Hope: Learning How to Heal Through, Not Out of Your Pain

From Hurt to Hope: Learning to Heal THROUGH Your Pain, Not OUT

HEAL THROUGH IT: A PROCESS FOR GETTING UNSTUCK FROM YOUR PAIN

Heal Through It: How to Move Forward When You Are Stuck

Healing the Hurt: 4 Practices that Will Move You Forward

Stop the Stuck: 4 Steps to Move Forward in Healing Through Pain

Release the Pain: Stories of Surrender

Receive the Insight: Stories of Support

Resolve to Heal: Stories of Determination

Reach Out to Help: Stories of Resilience/Risk

Hello 2022 :: 2021 Reflection

Welcome to 2022 :: Short story, I was attacked by a dog 1/3/22 while running so cards went out late and this reflection is just now being done. 

2021 brought inspiration and various challenges (so a normal year for us): 

• Mark wrote a book “Simple Preaching Prep”, is due to release March 1st, 2022 on Amazon.

• Kara continues to write her non-fiction book “Hurt to Hope: The Way is Through, Not Out” (working title) and ran more in the Fall to build a base back.

• Ian began 7th grade and in his free time enjoys watching WWE, playing computer games and wrestling with his stuffed wrestling dummy so he doesn’t hurt his brother.

• Elijah began 3rd grade, remains fascinated by dinosaurs, digging for gem stones and fossils, and playing Roblox in his free time.

• Katie is 6 years old now, loves to cuddle in your face, bait Ivy into take her raw-hides so she can grab them back and continues to love car rides.

• Ivy is a year and half and has been with us for a year. She is still all puppy, sits like a princess and growls like bear. She is very submissive and pees upon meeting strangers.

• We are very grateful for God’s peace and His humor in these times. We look forward to see how His hand works this year. Much Love to you! 

• The Messmores

Sorting Through a Position Statement for My Book

"This is a [WHAT] that does [WHAT] for [WHO] because [WHY]." -Ryan Holiday, Perennial Seller

This is a personal development book that shows how to move from a hurtful and stuck place to hopeful and hope-filled perspective for people who have been through great disappointment because so many become stuck and jaded and stop truly living.

This is a practical guide for people stuck in survival-mode, even wanting "out" of life to move from deep hurt to a hope-filled life that can help others, even save a life and make the world a kinder place. 

What is the WHY for your book? Why is it needed right now? Why are you motivated to write this book?What next steps do you want to take with your book - proposal 

This guide is needed right now because more people are experiencing depression and anxiety at higher rates and living in survival-mode. Many are even choosing suicide to escape their pain. 

I am motivated through my own story of great disappointment and hurt by those closest to me whom I thought were my friends. I went through my own process of feeling very stuck and ready to give up to ultimately resolving to heal and reaching out to help others to hold on despite their pain.

The next step I would like to take with this book is to create a book proposal including the outline which I have begun working on.

We will work through a process of releasing pain, receiving help, resolving to heal and reaching out to help others. Our universal point of connection is that we all have experienced pain in one or more seasons of our life. We all can become stuck and be susceptible to giving up and wanting out. It is important for us to persevere and keep going.

2022 Word of the Year

I would like to welcome 2022 with cordial high five. 

Thank you for showing up and being present in humanity.

The Word to embody 2022 is...

I chose this word for 2022 because it kept popping up in my head and I feel a need to simply sit with it and figure out what that actually means. It's not just nutritionally (which has often been a focus for many years for me) but internally in my brain space...in my heart and moreso in my soul. Nourishing our soul while not going too deep into ourselves and helping to nourish the souls of others. 

2021 proved to be a challenging year as many of my friends went through various hardships and transitions. Walking with others in pain and in transition is no easy task. It is a day by day surrender of my will and my ambition. I will not say that I did it seamlessly nor unselfishly, because I am human. I feel that God chose to use this time, to show me various areas of my life that needed to be worked on and discussed. Boundaries has been one of the biggest conversations I have had with God. 

The question of, where do I begin and where do I end? What is doable for me at this time to give? How might I navigate deep friendship while remaining myself. There is no easy answer and many times I felt that I had fallen short. But there is grace.

So yes, this is a stART.