Today
is the 24th of October. It is exactly one year since I published my
very first blog entry, and began to wander down the literary path of ‘Journey
to Liberty’s'. I can barely believe this fact. It sits with me at rather a peculiar
angle. The year has flown by, as so many seem to. Much has occurred in life
since that first hesitant moment of loading the debut publication page and thus
I can barely comprehend that it has in fact only been a total of twelve months
since that moment. Quite a journey, fittingly.
When
I began writing this blog I was just halfway through my 7 month Moroccan
dancing contract in Marrakech. The idea of Liberty’s was just starting to
formulate, with distinct Bambi legs to it and a tentatively sketchy appearance.
I knew what I wanted to head towards, and decided that writing my plans and
ideas down in a published format would be a positive strategy to develop the
concept forward whilst at the same time practicing my writing work in line with
my personal ambitions. When I first began, I had no idea anyone would actually
read it. I could never have envisaged the immense amount of support and
interest I have continued to be so fortunate to have had from the beginning
days. With every entry, I have been overwhelmed by the beautiful responses and
positivity that people from all walks of life have offered in response to the
concept of Liberty’s and towards my writing work. With each post I have taken
great pleasure in being inspired by thought provoking reflections and responses
from readers of it. For this, I cannot thank-you all enough.
Someone asked me today why I write. It made me
pause to reflect on why it is I do write. Not just because it was a question I
wasn't really expecting, but because currently I'm working on a promo tour
around Scotland with the Scooby-Doo movie. Rather a surreal situation to be
asked such a thing!
But it did provoke thought to wonder whether or not my
motivations are evident in all that I do. My answer 'out loud' to this new colleague
of mine was that I have always written in some way since I was a child, whether
it was stories, poems, or letters to pen pals. I told him that writing for me
now, as an adult, is a form of self expression that has the potential to communicate my ideas in diverse modes than dancing always can. These are true
statements, absolutely. However, his question resonated within me past that
moment, well after check in time at the hotel I stayed at that evening.
Do I express myself? Am I free to? Have I been
doing so as effectively as I always hope to? I started writing this blog partly
as a way to practice my writing in preparation for potentially writing a book,
but mainly to encourage myself to push deeper within my artistic potential and
philosophical beliefs - to see what lay there. I had reached a stage in life
where I was beginning to look closer at the details around me, and wanted to
see what writing could do to help me come to some more conclusions than I was
finding without doing so. A typed sketchbook of ideas and reflections, to be
opened up to the world for their consideration, response and input in whatever
form. It was one of the best decisions I have made to date.
In every moment that I find ‘that’ overwhelming,
blood arresting, dizzy moment of inspiration or where I burst through to a new
idea as I type, I am truly alive. And for every moment that someone gives to me
in spending collections of minutes reading what I have written, I am elatedly
grateful, as such. More than I could ever imagine possible.
And
so – ‘Happy 1st Birthday’ readers. Thank-you for being around long
enough to reach Liberty’s 1st birthday with me. An eventful first
year, as drawn out in each chapter. A year of dancing, injuries, sketching, study, travel
abroad, teaching, French language, new and lifelong friends, connections,
adventures and many, many, many notebooks. Thank-you for joining the concept,
and journeying with it. Thank-you.
I
will leave my post here for now. But I will share with you that there is a very
new and altogether very exciting next chapter just around the corner. My heart
beats solidly as I consider it, and I look forward to sharing it with you.
For now – Happy Birthday!
For now – Happy Birthday!
To
the journey...
Helen
Victoria.
X.