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What happens when life asks for more of you than your creativity can hold at the same time?
Lately, recent events in the world and in my personal life have made me take a step back from my creative journey. I need more of my energy for my real life right now. I need to focus on what is in front of me, handle what needs handling, and put proper time into the parts of life that cannot be ignored. Some seasons ask you to express. Others ask you to lock in. I know which season I am in.
Over the course of my writing, I have shared many highlights from my journey through a reflective lens. I was never really documenting life as it was happening in real time. I was looking back on the last ten years, pulling meaning from what I had lived through, and giving you pieces of that story with honesty.
That has always been the heart of my writing for me.
Not performance. Perspective.
Not noise. Substance.
But now I need to return to the part of life that demands work more than words. The part that requires discipline, sacrifice, focus, and a little more distance from the internet. Because of that, I will become less and less active on online forums, including this one. I did not want to let that happen without saying it clearly.
Do follow me on 𝕏 to and come into the spaces I attend if you want to hear more often from me. @jay17v
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I am not disappearing. I am getting back to work.
I also do not want to keep showing up in a way that feels forced just to stay visible. That has never been the point for me. I would rather step back with intention than keep posting from a place that feels scattered, stretched thin, or incomplete. Visibility means very little to me if the work behind it is not honest.
The truth is, I am still committed to creating.
I am still committed to providing value.
I am still committed to this comeback I can feel building in my spirit.
I just know that the version of me that returns needs more life in him, more focus in him, and more substance behind what he shares. That does not happen by pretending I can do everything at once.
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As I figure out how to keep giving something meaningful without pulling too much from the parts of life that need me most, I may lean more into poetry. I may share more of my school journey. I may find a simpler way to stay connected while I keep building behind the scenes. I am still working that out. What I do know is that I am not done. I am simply being more careful with where my energy goes.
So if you see less of me for a while, know that it is not from lack of care. It is because I care enough to protect what I am building. I care enough not to water this chapter down. I care enough to live the story fully before trying to explain it.
Gif by MaryanneChisholm on Giphy
This is not me falling off. This is me tightening my grip, lowering the noise, and making sure that when I return, I return with something undeniable.