What I Most Wanted to Hide About Myself When I Started Blogging

Here’s the truth: I talk to trees. I sit and commune with them, and they commune back. We talk about life, self-expression, authenticity, and what it means to be a wild thing on this earth.

When I started blogging I thought this was the thing I most needed to hide about myself, because I imagined my readers coming after me with pitchforks screaming: “Talking to trees???? You’re insane!! That’s crazy!! You’re an evil witch!!!!!!” So I wrote helpful blog posts, carefully avoiding the whole tree situation.

And then one day I was sitting outside in a green lounge chair at the edge of a beautiful wood.

There was a birch tree not far from me, waving her leaves in the sun, and I had my computer on my lap, so I could write that week’s blog post.

Writing was a struggle that day. I tried one idea after the next, but none of them came together.

Then I looked at the birch tree, and I told her all about it. I sat back and absorbed her beautiful energy, and she sent me a message about being yourself with out apology.

That’s when I started writing. I described the moment I was in, the green chair, the tree, the message I received. It flowed out without struggle.

I knew I needed to share what I had just written on my blog, but it was incredibly scary. (See pitchforked reader scenario above.) I looked at my writing, and then I called my friends, the ones I knew had my back and loved my True Self. I read the piece to them. They loved it, and they bolstered my confidence. So I screwed up every last bit of courage I had, and I hit publish.

Here’s what happened. This became the first piece my readers overwhelmingly responded to with joy and love. They told me it brought tears to their eyes. They told me it changed their day. They told me it made them feel more confident and alive.

My husband, to this day, still talks about that post as my best piece of writing.

Writing about and with a tree made my writing more juicy and relatable than it had ever been before. The lesson I learned that day was that the thing I thought I most needed to hide was actually the thing I needed to partner with most closely in my writing.

After that my writing changed, and I changed. I became more real, empowered, and authentic in my relationships, at work, and in my whole life. I told the truth more often. I became someone who freely admits she talks to trees, and that is the person I've always wanted to be.

I also learned a confidence boost from a trusted ally can make all the difference.

I'm a writing coach whose mission is to be that confidence boosting ally for you. I would love to help you craft your authentic voice, so instead of hiding the most special thing about you, you partner with it to not only create beautiful works of art but to also become the person you really want to be.

Hit reply to this email to find out how we can work together or visit wildauthenticity.com/craftyourvoice to find out more.

Love,

Emma