Failing at Writing Is Part of Learning to Write

https://dreamspacestudio.net/failing-at-writing-is-part-of-learning-to-write/

How Writers Actually Get Better (It’s Not by Waiting to Feel Ready)

https://dreamspacestudio.net/how-writers-actually-get-better-its-not-by-waiting-to-feel-ready/

Tough conditions, demanding light—and exactly the kind of challenge that pushes the work forward. That’s what the 31 Day Challenge, organized by @artbyandreaehrhardt, is all about (more at Artbyandreaehrhardt.com).
This image was made around 4:30 a.m., lit only by moonlight after a recent rain. Working in near darkness forced patience and restraint, shaping a quiet, atmospheric result.

#fineartphotography #photographersofinstagram
#31daychallenge #creativegrowth #robertnphotographer

When You Don’t Finish What You Started (and Still Choose to Keep Showing Up)

I’ll be honest: I didn’t finish the 75-Day Joa Soft Challenge.

I started strong, documenting my progress, checking off my daily goals, and feeling like I was finally doing something that expanded me — something just for me. But somewhere along the way, between the full-time job, family responsibilities, and preparing for The Ordinary Bruja’s release, I ran out of shlits.

Not motivation — shlits. The mental energy, the emotional bandwidth, the space in my brain that wasn’t already stretched thin.

So, the challenge quietly fell off by the wayside.

The Hard Truth About “Falling Off”

There’s this narrative online about grit — that if you just want it badly enough, you’ll push through. But that’s not always how real life works. Sometimes, you don’t quit because you don’t care. You stop because you’re maxed out.

And I was.

The book launch demanded creativity and focus in ways I didn’t anticipate. Every hour I spent editing audio, writing blog posts, or packaging preorders was an hour I wasn’t resting or doing something restorative. So, even though I knew the 75-Day Joa Challenge was good for me — it had me journaling, meditating, moving my body, actually feeling again — I didn’t have the space to sustain it.

That’s a hard sentence to write. Because I’m a procrastinator by nature. And I know that if I don’t intentionally finish things, I start believing I can’t.

What I Learned from Not Finishing

I realized this challenge wasn’t about perfection or streaks — it was about building comfort in the act of finishing.
And that’s something I still need to learn.

Stopping doesn’t make me a failure. But avoiding reflection about why I stopped? That’s where stagnation lives.

So instead of pretending it didn’t happen, I’m naming it.
I didn’t finish.
But I will revisit it — not because I want a perfect record, but because I liked who I was becoming while I was doing it.

That version of me felt grounded, intentional, and kind to herself. I want to feel that again.

Choosing to Show Up Anyway

This week is release week for The Ordinary Bruja — my heart and my energy are all over the place. I’m proud, grateful, anxious, and a little raw.
But even with all of that, I’m showing up here — not to boast about how consistent I’ve been, but to acknowledge how human I am.

The truth is: I’m still learning what balance looks like. I’m still learning how to chase expansion without burning out.

And maybe that’s the lesson I was meant to find in all of this:
That sometimes, the real growth isn’t in completing the challenge — it’s in having the courage to face the gap between who you were trying to become and who you actually were in that moment.

My Reminder for the Week

• You don’t have to finish perfectly to keep growing.
• You can pause, rest, and still come back stronger.
• And you don’t have to have it all together to inspire others — you just have to keep it real.

The Ordinary Bruja: Book One of Las Cerradoras Series – Johanny Ortega

Marisol Espinal has spent her life trying to disappear from her family’s whispers of magic, from the shame of not belonging, from the truth she refuses to face. She’s always wanted to be someone else: confident, capable, extraordinary.

But when strange visions, flickering shadows, and warnings written in her mother’s hand begin to stalk her, Marisol is forced to confront her deepest fear: what if she isn’t extraordinary at all? What if she’s painfully ordinary?

Yet Hallowthorn Hill doesn’t call to just anyone. And the more Marisol resists, the stronger its pull becomes. The past she’s buried claws its way back, and something in the mist is watching—waiting for her to remember.

If Marisol cannot face the truth about who she is and where she comes from, the same darkness that destroyed her ancestors will claim her, too.

Somewhere in the shadows, something knows her name.

And it’s time for Marisol to learn why.

David Pohl: From Maximalist to Minimalist

“I used to call myself a maximalist. Now I’m after simplicity.” David Pohl shares how his creative process has changed—and what he’s still exploring. Learn more at www.FishingWithoutBait.com

#DavidPohl #Minimalism #Maximalism #ArtJourney #CreativeGrowth #FishingWithoutBait #MindfulLiving #ArtInsight #SimplifyYourWork

🎸 Daily Practice = Long-Term Growth

“I’m 45 and still doing the basics every day.” Mike Dawson & Tim Vitullo reflect on how mastery comes from repetition and a lifetime commitment to the fundamentals. Hear more: www.FishingWithoutBait.com

#FishingWithoutBait #LUNRECCOS #MusicMastery #DailyPractice #CreativeGrowth

I Hit Submit: Manifesting My Spot at LatinaFest 2025

This week, I did something bold—I applied to be in the author booth at LATINAFest 2025 in Los Angeles. And while I don’t know yet if I’ve been selected, I’m already proud. Because what I’m really celebrating is growth.

LATINAFest, the largest outdoor festival celebrating Latinas in the U.S., is produced by a community-based organization whose mission is to celebrate and promote unity, diversity, and economic inclusion and to amplify the Latina voice while championing Latina entrepreneurs, activists, and artists who are committed to uplifting and empowering the Latina community.

https://www.latinafest.com/

Before? I would’ve procrastinated. I would’ve self-sabotaged. I would’ve convinced myself I wasn’t ready, or that my work didn’t belong in a space that big, that vibrant, that powerful.

But look at me now—submitting my application with a hopeful heart and a whole lot of pride in what I’ve created.

LATINAFest is one of those rare spaces that gets it. It uplifts Latina stories, voices, and creators from all walks of life. And as a Dominican author writing about magic, identity, resilience, and everything in between, I knew I had to show up. Not just for the chance to be there—but for myself.

I thought of my brujita Marisol. I thought of Isla and her stubborn courage. I thought of the readers who’ve ever said, “Thank you for this—I saw myself.” And I knew: this is what it means to bet on yourself.

So whether the answer is yes or not this time, I’m claiming this moment as a win. I did the thing I used to be afraid of. I showed up. Fully. Honestly. Unapologetically.

And if you’ve been waiting for a sign to put yourself out there—this is it. Don’t wait for perfection. Don’t wait until you’re “ready.” Go for it. Apply. Pitch. Submit. Your magic deserves to be seen.

Wish me luck!

By the way I am ordering a new batch of Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring so they will be ready for orders. Get yours before they run out because these come signed and blessed with a bit of good intentions by yours truly.

#AuthorJourney #authorMilestones #bookFestivals2025 #bookishEvents #brujaEnergy #CreativeGrowth #DominicanAmericanStories #DominicanWriters #LatinaAuthors #LatinaEmpowerment #LATINAFest2025 #LosAngelesBookEvents #magicalRealismAuthor #manifestationMindset #OvercomingSelfDoubt #ownYourStory #selfPublishingJourney #unapologeticStorytelling #womenOfColorWriters #writingWins