Christine, you don't give yourself enough credit for all you did with your powerful book! So what if it wasn't your original research. You were a journalist and storyteller who connected so many dots and filtered all that info into a wonderfully readable and enlightening book. I hope you'll feel motivated to keep going to book events, sports events, and being a guest on podcasts to get the word out about it. As for writing, let yourself have fun with it for a bit! There doesn't need to be a "have to" or "should" as part of the process. That said, I relate to what you write here, because my book came out six years ago, and I feel insecure that I never followed it up with a new edition or different kind of book. Whatever, I've accomplished other big projects since then (like building a house). Use some downtime to let your imagination loose. Maybe you'll discover you're an expert (or a learner) in a totally different field that interests you. Meanwhile, keep going with this newsletter!
It's quite understandable what you're feeling now after having completed a project that occupied so much of your time for years, and summer is a period where time feels suspended so I get that it's hitting now. The book is a major accomplishment and I hope that this fuels your next steps forward. If nothing else, you also have a groundless neighbor next door so you always have an ear if you need it.
Oh, I've absolutely been there - where it's like 'oh no, I forgot how to do this, maybe I never really knew how to swim and was just faking it in the shallow water.' But at some point you figure out how to navigate those currents
I love the metaphor of the pool and floaties. And your dad helping you remember that you knew how to swim. It reminded me that everything can feel so isolated and lonely, but sometimes we need someone close by while we figure things out.
Christine, you don't give yourself enough credit for all you did with your powerful book! So what if it wasn't your original research. You were a journalist and storyteller who connected so many dots and filtered all that info into a wonderfully readable and enlightening book. I hope you'll feel motivated to keep going to book events, sports events, and being a guest on podcasts to get the word out about it. As for writing, let yourself have fun with it for a bit! There doesn't need to be a "have to" or "should" as part of the process. That said, I relate to what you write here, because my book came out six years ago, and I feel insecure that I never followed it up with a new edition or different kind of book. Whatever, I've accomplished other big projects since then (like building a house). Use some downtime to let your imagination loose. Maybe you'll discover you're an expert (or a learner) in a totally different field that interests you. Meanwhile, keep going with this newsletter!
It's quite understandable what you're feeling now after having completed a project that occupied so much of your time for years, and summer is a period where time feels suspended so I get that it's hitting now. The book is a major accomplishment and I hope that this fuels your next steps forward. If nothing else, you also have a groundless neighbor next door so you always have an ear if you need it.
Oh, I've absolutely been there - where it's like 'oh no, I forgot how to do this, maybe I never really knew how to swim and was just faking it in the shallow water.' But at some point you figure out how to navigate those currents
I love the metaphor of the pool and floaties. And your dad helping you remember that you knew how to swim. It reminded me that everything can feel so isolated and lonely, but sometimes we need someone close by while we figure things out.