I Write Because I've Got Something to Say ...
A Very Personal Note: The Essence of Purposeful Writing, Seven Valuable Business Lessons, Creativity, Reality, & Time for Change … (Right here, keep scrolling 👇)
Not only to express but also to convey important messages…
While this post is a little different than usual, I encourage you to read it to the end because I have much to say on this very personal note.
— F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Crack-Up
The Essence of Purposeful Writing
In his quote, F. Scott Fitzgerald captures the essence of purposeful writing by emphasizing that writing is driven by having something to say rather than simply wanting to say something.
The statement conveys a meaningful message rather than just wanting to be heard. It underscores the importance of substance in writing, distinguishing between writing for the sake of it and genuinely having valuable insights to share.
Existentialism is an intriguing philosophical concept that resonates with Fitzgerald’s quote. Essentially, existentialism is a perspective that focuses on the significance of personal existence, liberty, and the quest for purpose in life.
By drawing connections between existentialism and writing, one can contend that both fields entail an ongoing battle to discover meaning and communicate it effectively.
Existentialism centers on the belief that existence precedes essence. Likewise, in writing, putting words on paper precedes the development of a compelling narrative.
Finding powerful insight in the act of being a writer:
Sometimes, the writing process may precede creating a deep and meaningful message. For instance, writers may start writing without a specific idea or theme, but through writing itself, they uncover a significant message worth sharing. This mirrors Fitzgerald’s belief that writing is more driven by the need to communicate something meaningful rather than just for the sake of writing.
Simply expressing oneself without purpose is not enough.
Both existentialism and writing embody the concepts of freedom and personal responsibility. Existentialism urges individuals to embrace control over their lives, to make decisions independently, and to construct their identifiable sense of purpose. Similarly, writing allows individuals to delve into these same principles.
Comparatively speaking, writing requires writers to be accountable for their words, ideas, and thoughts. They must conscientiously create, take ownership of their messages, and consider how their words might affect others. While they can express themselves freely, they must use this freedom responsibly and carefully, choosing their words wisely.
Furthermore, ethical considerations are central to existentialism, underlining the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness. It advocates for a critical assessment of one’s existence and profoundly contemplates the rationale behind one’s actions. Again, similarly, writing prompts those who frequently engage in introspection, a means to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences so they can unravel a greater understanding of themselves and their role in the world. For this reason, writing acts as a means for self-exploration, empowering those who write to articulate their innermost feelings and convey their apparent viewpoints. As such, existentialism and the act of writing are intertwined.
While the search for meaning and self-expression drive both, existentialism and writing differ in certain aspects. Existentialism centers on individual experiences and seeking personal significance, while writing can reach far beyond the individual to communicate with a broader audience. Writing enables authors to convey their thoughts and emotions on a larger scale.
Thus, sharing perspectives, stories, and ideas can foster connections, create dialogues, and foster communities. Through writing, one can build a bridge between individual experiences and collective understanding, embodying the principles of existentialism in shared circumstances.
Ultimately, F. Scott Fitzgerald's quote, "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say," holds great significance in purposeful writing. It calls attention to the importance of having meaningful words on pages, challenging individuals to go beyond the surface level of self-expression to convey something meaningful.
Both share the common thread of seeking personal meaning, introspection, and the freedom to express oneself, creating profound links between the craft of writing and the human journey.
So as not only to express but also to convey important messages.
Seven Valuable Business Lessons
I began GfreeDeliciously.com back in 2017. Seven years ago!
It seems incredibly wild to me that so much time has passed, and I feel like I’m at a place where I’ve learned some of my most important life lessons… the personal, relational, emotional, and business-related ones, at least.
And you know what? After contemplating over the past several months about my 37+ years of running a small creative and writing-based business, especially the last seven years of having a website and blog, I feel confident in sharing a little bit about what it takes to do all this.
In all these years of doing a small business, I have taken away seven valuable lessons:
#1 - Trust yourself:
In owning your business, there will always be a stream of new gadgets, strategies, and technologies (hardware, software, plugins, etc.) vying for your attention. While many of these innovations can be beneficial, keeping your goals in mind and staying focused on what truly drives your business forward is crucial. Many years ago, a good friend in the restaurant business told me, “If it doesn’t make toast, I don’t need it.” At the time, I laughed and shrugged it off, thinking he didn’t need what I was selling just then. But his polite “no” stuck with me. It taught me that only you can define what success looks like for you. Trust your instincts, and make careful and well-thought-out choices. Prioritize the actions, initiatives, and purchases that significantly impact you and your business and resonate with your values.
Bonus tip: Consider using assessment and organizational tools in your plans. Two helpful planning tools I’ve used many times are impact/effort charts and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Before making big decisions, these types of prioritization and planning tools can help you evaluate, list, and rank tasks, projects, or ideas based on their potential impact and the effort required to implement them – without getting caught up in complex details. They can be handy for any scope of project or personal objective.
#2 - Incorporate a new idea or venture into your business annually.
Among my top phrases, following closely behind “you don’t ask, you don’t get,” is “nothing changes if nothing changes.” In other words, do not be afraid to make changes if something is not working or to try something new. Work on developing how you judge your decisions. Distinguishing between impulsive, rash, and emotionally driven knee-jerk options versus carefully considered and thought-out choices will help you know you align with your goals (hello, tip #1!).
#3 - Consider failures to be your faithful friends, companions, and surprising supporters.
I have had my fair share of hair-brained ideas go wrong. Failures, enough that I could probably write a book about them. From creative ventures and projects that never saw the light of day to ideas that were complete flops financially. Yes, those decisions sucked! But they also have taught me what NOT to do. These experiences have been valuable learning tools, teaching me important lessons about being more strategic and aligning with my values and goals. Despite these setbacks, I did not feel branded as a loser. I’ve not faced abandonment from my friends, family, or peers. (While my inner critic can be harsh sometimes, I can still comfort her with reflective quiet time (and a cup of tea), reminding myself that everything will be okay at the end of the day.)
#4 - Offer kindness, compassion, and understanding when you experience burnout.
The harsh reality is that burnout is common in our fast-paced society. It seems almost impossible to avoid unless you have unlimited resources ($$$) and exceptional emotional resilience. I notice this everywhere among bloggers and creators, where there is a constant demand to be present on social media and on-screen - all the time. It can take a toll on our mental well-being. Instead of viewing burnout as a distant possibility, it might be more helpful to acknowledge it as an inevitable part of life. Embracing this perspective is not about being negative; it’s about being pragmatic. It’s essential to be compassionate, showing and letting ourselves understand that we are humans, not machines. Though interestingly enough, leveraging AI for mundane tasks has helped me combat some areas of burnout.
#5 - Focus on your well-being first to help everything else fall into place more easily.
Building on tip #4, I’ll be the first to admit that this recommendation has been an ongoing struggle for me. In my professional training, I’ve learned that prioritizing our well-being can lessen the effects of burnout. This means starting the day with a healthy breakfast, physical activity, and dressing. It also involves setting boundaries for work and online hours, ensuring adequate sleep, and maintaining strong relationships with loved ones. I actually believe that unplugging ourselves from technology and a constant barrage of media input is crucial for mental clarity, creativity, and maintaining an overall healthy attitude for ourselves and the people we spend our time with.
#6 - Avoid attempting to handle everything by yourself.
You have limitations in your business when working alone. If resources allow it, investing in technologies and collaborating with others can help you get things done more efficiently and faster, bringing various budget and time-saving opportunities, perspectives, and skills to enhance your business. It’s essential to use these sources to reach your full potential. Consider procuring services or hiring more skilled individuals than you, then get out of their way and let them excel in their roles. While this may require time and money, delegating tasks that drain your energy creates room for personal growth and pursuing your passions. Embracing an abundance mindset is crucial in this process.
#7 - Maintain a sense of curiosity always and never stop learning.
I’ve heard this many times: Strive always to keep up. This is the genuine key to success in business and life, and I believe it’s true. Stay receptive and curious, continuously questioning and learning. The more knowledge I acquire, the more I understand how much there is yet to discover. Embrace the profound and ever-engaging journey that curiosity and learning bring to your life and business. As my Dear Hubby tells me, ‘We don’t know what we don’t know.’
Creativity, Reality, & Time for Change
Creativity
One of the greatest gifts I harnessed from my college studies in journalism and organizational administration was creativity. I learned a lot in these areas of study, but the most valuable was learning how to cultivate the flow of creativity on demand.
If you don’t consider yourself creative, you may find it hard to believe that everyone is creative at almost every moment of the day without even realizing it.
Granted, while not every endeavor will produce a masterpiece of art to adorn our walls (or refrigerator doors), tapping into the brain’s higher functions, such as coherence practice, enables access to an endless reservoir of creativity.
Things like:
Solving problems
Solution-oriented thinking
Critical thinking
Daydreaming
The creative flow we maintain influences all aspects of our lives—from our meals to our physical movements, our approach to daily tasks, and even how calmly we get our children ready and out the door.
Without getting all woo-woo on you, that’s the energy of our thoughts and actions.
If there’s a takeaway I’ve learned about work done in creative workflow, it’s this:
The positive energies you put into creating something are often only reflected in the joy others may feel when receiving it. When others reciprocate the love, excitement, and positivity you infuse into your work, you also create a beautiful exchange of uplifting energies during interactions.
Isn’t it fascinating how the human mind is an enigma, capable of creating sprawling landscapes between truth, imagination, and reality - solving complex problems and shaping our lives?
Reality
When Reality Sets In
While our minds are pivotal in shaping our reality, decisions cannot solely be based on where stars are born and galaxies swirl.
There are so many things involved in maintaining a WordPress site to keep it growing and working well amidst the challenges of changing algorithms, plugin (software) compatibilities, AI, and SEO (search engine optimization) – all elements that are just part of the gibberish code equation. All necessary tasks to rank high enough to be placed above the fold with the goal for people to find you in the world’s vast Web Ocean.
It’s taken a sh**zle ton of work, and I am “really” happy with how the GfreeDeliciously website looks, works, and functions for site visitors and members. However, seeing how slowly things grow despite the hours involved is a letdown—even though it’s a labor of love, I’m proud to have been part of it for the past seven years.
Cutting To The Chase…
While I do what I do, and yes, there have been some shifts and minor tweaks, realistically speaking, the formula has generally remained the same: Create a lot of content, make most of it public, free, and accessible, and then sell a few things (or services) for those who are ready to invest deeper.
It’s a formula in which many food blogs, health coaches, and small practitioners like me have succeeded. Stories and testimonials galore tout the merits of making side gigs like these profitable.
However, I realize this reality is unsustainable for me, given the many changes the post-COVID economy has wrought for everyone.
I wish I could say I was the only blogger affected by this, but I’m not. Unfortunately, this downward trend is widespread in the blogging community.
It’s time for a change.
In the coming months, my over three hundred recipes, plus many more gluten-free health posts, totaling just shy of 400 pages on GfreeDeliciously.com, will be moved to my Substack site, where they will require being a Substack subscriber to view.
😎 How could I? How could I not? A lot of time, resources, and human hours (by only me) have gone into creating everything I do—countless times, days, weeks, and months. Years of effort have been invested in producing this work. The internet and information consumption landscape has evolved, and I’m necessarily adapting accordingly.
This change is simply a natural evolution for us.
I will exclusively share my recipes and food thoughts, devotions, prayers, in-depth explorations, and other exciting content within my Substack, including these more personal notes.
Over the coming months, viewing the hundreds of pages and posts on GfreeDeliciously.com will require signing in on Substack.
How the internet and information are accessed has changed, and I’m following suit. I don’t serve irritating injected ads on my website, never have, and don’t want to, so this is the natural progression.
Why, might you ask?
Part of the reason is that after seven years, I’m done being a content-generating machine (as another friend has called me) 😅. Now, it’s hard to imagine that even at one point during my work, I was that gal who took her computer along on vacations so I could stay on top of things as if I were some critical news anchor or something 🥸!
There are things I want to share that I feel inspired to write on that I don’t wish to be searchable on my blog, things that feel too personal, deep, or inquiry-driven to post on social media for the passive viewer to have at it. Though, in general, I believe that kindness dominates, I do also have to contend with the “I’m offended, harumph” crowd, the ‘you should “really” be using your platform for ____’ and ‘I’m surprised you said/did _____.’ All particularly odd things to land in an inbox from someone you’ve never met.
While some have turned to other platforms and completely private networks, I’m moving to Substack, the new home (for now) for this unique community. Here, you can dive into all sorts of things for gluten-free and gut health and ideas to live fully nourished. It’s a platform where we can have conversations through chats, notes, and private messages, and now my recipes and writings are available at your leisure. You’ll also continue to get notifications in your email inbox if you choose to when you’re signed up by managing your subscription to read just what you want.
Over the months ahead, I will be pulling content from the current website and compiling it all on Substack in what I believe will be an easy-to-navigate format. GfreeDeliciously.com will remain in its current state for several months, so you can save any recipes you have collected in your recipe box and follow links within the website to find what you’re looking for.
The Timeline
My timeline for completing the transition of all content is not specific, though I can tell you that everything I intend to move over must be done before May 2025. Because I’m a one-woman show, I ask for your patience during this transition.
Therefore, over this summer and maybe longer (whatever it takes), I plan to hold off on publishing new recipes or content due to the work that lies before me. I will, however, keep you posted through occasional emails (so that you know I’m alive and kicking) as post updates happen.
As the recipes and various posts are published in live format on Substack, they will include all the working links and their connected files. They will also be easily found in content sections within the archive and index pages. Trust me, this will be a sweet indexing feature when done!
Please note that most recipes, in their entirety, WILL STILL be available for free subscribers to view – only now in the Substack app or on their computers, phones, or tablets for making. However, the downloadable recipe card files will only be available to paid subscribers.
To enhance the website’s downloadable recipe cards, I’m setting things up in Substack so paid pass members (subscribers) can download and print formatted recipe pages. These pages can then be indexed alphabetically and by suggested contents sections into a three-ring-binder cookbook for keeping. That way, you’ll always have an organized record of your favorites.
Will this work? I’m not sure, but it’s worth a try.
What I am sure of is that heading to my office today and knowing this note was on my task list encourages me. The thought of having a place to write where I don’t have to be necessarily strategic about the title for search, what images and graphics will go with it, and all the other qualifiers I go through in my brain before hitting publish on something out there in the big, weird world of WordPress makes me feel super hopeful.
This is what I do know for sure:
What we put out into the world, from a place of coherent, heart-led creativity, becomes part of the world we create. In every moment, we co-create the world we exist within.
Most importantly, we get to choose the world we create with every thought, every interaction, and every transaction. I want a place where I can do this intentionally and without self-censorship.
Substack is evolving into an extraordinary online place. In many ways, I continue to receive confirmation that community is everything as we move forward in this ever-changing, dynamic new world. Who we choose to both learn from and share our wisdom with is the web of delight and joy we get to choose. Making this choice is a powerful one, especially for me.
On that note, I continue to serve in complete alignment in a few nourishing ways that have always remained true to my heart, and you’re invited to join me being part of whatever gives you the feeling of hope and connection:
COOK easy, tested, and perfected gluten-free recipes for foods that never compromise on taste, saving you precious time in the kitchen even when life gets busy.
EAT modern-day gluten-free versions of everyday traditional foods.
DISCOVER recipes reimagined – delicious, clean, and whole foods prepared slightly differently to eliminate gluten.
Find RECIPES for making gluten-free FOOD for all food lovers gathered at the same table.
Simple IDEAS for feeling better, maintaining a healthy gut, and INSPIRATION for living your best healthy gluten-free lifestyle.
Find permanent solutions that can transform you.
Receive guidance for your unique gluten-free gut health journey to LIVE FULLY NOURISHED every day of your life with practical options to help you feel GfreeDeliciously wonderful!
Because whether you’re new to gluten-free or have been at it for years, you deserve to live your best gluten-free life without restrictions.
“If you want to feel better, you’ve come to the right place because my passion has always been to provide you with the skills needed to master all the ins and outs of being gluten-free while healing your body through the power of food.”
Magic is in the air, along with a lot of other stuff. So, for today, I’m focusing on the magic 🧡 - not writing because I want to say something but because I’ve got something to say...
I welcome you to the new “Sweet Spot,” Where Delicious, Gluten-Free, and Healthy Meet!
✨Feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts or questions. Or you can always comment below. 🤟🏻🌻⛱️🍹🌞
Have a wonderful summer ahead. ‘Till next time…
XOXO,
Coach | Cook | Creator | Publisher of Kymberley Pekrul @GfreeDeliciously and GfreeDeliciously.com.
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