When I saw this week’s #SundayStills prompt from Terri at Second Wind Leisure, I drew a blank. The prompt is ‘Things that are White’. Now you might say that is easy and yes it is but… I’ve challenged myself to incorporate these weekly prompts to fit with my philosophy of living well. I could just take some photos of things that are white but I want to extend my creative thought. That’s when drawing a blank in my mind was useful – I had my answer!
A blank, white page ready for you to write your story.
Do you know there are 150,000 shades of white? That is what is suggested in this article I found. Who would have thought?
I love white. It is crisp, pure, fresh, clean and ordered. It is the predominant colour in my home and I do love wearing white. But it can be cold, clinical and stark and that isn’t how I want to live my life.
Being a Woman Living Well After 50 means colouring my life with experiences and connections to produce a tapestry, a work of art, a white page transformed and brought to life.
Like my home, I want to add to the white base of my life, pops of colour that enrich and bring joy.
Have you ever thought of writing YOUR story?
Most of us perhaps may feel we don’t have much to tell. Even if we aren’t celebrities or over achievers we each have a story that is important and special because is is our own, it is unique. It is important to those who love you – family, friends and future generations. It is important to record your experiences, your likes, your dislikes, what brought joy and what didn’t.
For me, I want my grandsons to know who their ‘Nan’ was. What she was like, what she felt, what she did, her values and the way she looked at life. I hope my blog goes a way to providing that information.
Your Story can take the form of a memoir, a journal, a diary or even a blog.
My parents both died in their mid-60s and I regret not really asking them about their stories. Sure I have snippets of stories from growing up and through family members who knew them. But I didn’t know things and wished I had asked the questions. How did they meet? What was their life like growing up? What was their life like as a couple? Did they have dreams and aspirations?
My two cousins have completed family trees for both my Mum’s and my Dad’s side of the family which is fascinating. I also have letters written to my Mum from my grandmother when my brother was born. I have letters Mum wrote to my cousin. These give me a glimpse of what her life was like but certainly not in detail.
Why you need to write your own Story
“When Writing the Story of Your Life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen.” –Rebel Thriver
I found this quote and it reminded me that sometimes in life we choose to live life through others or by others’ expectations and standards. We live with limiting beliefs that have held us back and prevented us from living OUR life OUR way.
I love new journal books – the page is fresh, clean and waiting BUT I hesitate because I don’t want my writing to ruin the page. Life can be like that. We hesitate because we don’t have the courage to make it happen. My friend, Debbie from Deb’s World has chosen BOLD as her WOTY. It reminded me that fear or limiting beliefs can hold us back from going BOLD(ly) forward in life.
So I leave you with a question or two actually:
Will you write YOUR Story?
How will you fill your life story with colour?
If you do, I’d love you to share it with me.
24 Comments
This was great Sue! So clever and creative and a wonderful way of incorporating the prompt into your blog’s philosophy. Also thanks for the shout-out to my WOTY post and writing your story down. We should all try to do that!
Thanks Deb! It was another case of what would Deb or Donna do? xx
I can feel the love all the way from here!
I’m glad!
Well you’re ahead of me! I’m not getting very far with blogging due to being away with family at the moment. Well done!!
Well in my case not much, as I’m spending time with my daughter and her family 🙂
I wouldn’t say you aren’t doing much. Spending time with your daughter and her family is filling your blank page with memories.
Hi, Sue – This is an awesome post on so many different levels. I love your creativity. I especially love how you adapt the theme to echo the message of your blog. This is very clever and very respectful of your regular readers who follow you for tips on living well over 50.
Were those interior shots taken inside your apartment? They are sooooooo gorgeous! I definitely want to visit! And to steal some home decorating tips!
Thank you again for stretching me with my creativity, Donna. I’m getting the hang of it now! Yes that is my apartment and you are most welcome to visit but no, I wouldn’t win any prizes for interior design. xx
A very thought-provoking post, Sue – and your lovely images really enhance that. Toni x
Thanks so much Toni and I hope you have a lovely week. xx
I think white makes a great backdrop – but you’re right about it being cold or clinical if we don’t add our own splash or colour and uniqueness. I also think telling our stories is something we don’t do enough (except for those of us who blog – our life is an open book!) We’ve just bought my MIL “The Book of Myself” to encourage her to record her memories before they’re gone forever. It will be interesting to read it when she finishes.
I’ve of ‘The Book of Myself’ but it sounds like a good idea for your MIL. It can be daunting knowing where to start. I love white but I also like my pops of colour too!
Hi Sue, I love your post on the colour(actually non colour) white and translating that to our lives! I agree that white can have either positive and negative vibes. It can represent purity, freshness, softness, bring light to a room or our face when wearing it or can be cold, clinical and harsh. When used with other colours as with your photo of the lady in red picture on your wall, it enhances and makes a focal point.
Adding colour to the “ white areas” of our lives enhances our life experiences as we colour it with our own unique personality.
Christine xx
Thanks Christine, I’m trying to make the prompts fit with a message that is inline with what WLWA50 blog is all about. I love your last sentence about adding colour to the ‘white areas’ of our lives to enhance. Perfect!
This is a great example of using a prompt to fly with creativity in your writing. Beautiful piece! In my blog on my website I use nature’s prompts to kickstart my writing. And Yes everyone can think of their life as an adventure worthy to be shared. I have written part of my life in my book PERMISSION GRANTED How to Find and Follow a Path to a Life True to Your Self. Keep promising myself to write the other parts. Thanks for your wisdom as well as your creative response to life.
Thanks so much for your positive feedback, Judith. Nature is a wonderful prompt for writing. I will also check out your book so thanks for mentioning it here. Have a lovely week. x
Sue, your consistent creativity with Sunday Stills is a joy for me to read each week! I’m so glad the color white inspired the white, blank page idea and how we create our own stories in color. White is the perfect backdrop for home decor to add pops of color. Your home images are so beachy and restful. I’m sure your sweet grandsons know exactly who you are and will aspire someday to ignite their own creativity.
Your comment means so much to me Terri and I thank you for giving me a new lease on creativity through #SundayStills. I’m looking forward to each weekly prompt and a new creative challenge. xx
What a great response to Sunday Stills, Sue. Those who can write their own stories are so blessed. I put pen to paper only to throw it away. Thanks for the encouragement, though. 🙂
Thanks so much Marsha it certainly is challenging me to keep the prompt in theme with my blog ethos. I’m sure you have a great story and you shouldn’t throw your thoughts away perhaps just keep them and then go back to them and refine your thoughts. Have a great week. x
Sue this was a great post. I love your idea of incorporating the prompts into the theme of your blog. and this one was perfect. My blog is simply a hobby blog and I hope that in the future, my kids and grandkids might look back and read it and find out more about who I was in the moments I wrote them. I want to get one of those grandma journals to fill out.
Thanks so much Kirstin. I’m loving #SundayStills because it is really challenging my creativity in keeping the ethos of my blog and the SS prompt aligned. I’m sure your family would love to read your thoughts – perhaps not now but definitely in the future. As we get older, our family and learning about each other becomes more important. Have a lovely week. xx
I’m with you on the bliss of whites (and neutrals) in decor, and I agree totally that our lives are blank sheets and it’s up to us what we write on them or how we colour them. Love the idea of colouring your life with experiences and connections. As for ‘writing my story’, I don’t intend writing my autobiography per se, but much of what I do write in other formats, including blog posts, contains many snippets of my life and who I am. I think there’s a lot of ways we can record our stories, apart from a chronological or other re-telling.