This picture captures some of the emotions I’m feeling. The churning waters are deep, hiding the vast life forms below the surface. As I begin my journey as a fiction author, I wonder if I can reach into the depths of my being to find the creativity, imagination, and style that will make me a good writer.

Darkness overwhelms. I’m not good enough. I have so much to learn. My stories aren’t page-turners. The list can go on and on. And yet, as in the photo, it is the rising sun that becomes the focal point. A new day reinforces the opportunity to begin again.  To shine anew.

All of us have the capacity to become bogged down by our challenges, just as we have the ability to reach upward and outward. Together, we see the light from above.  We see the sparkle within. Let us be a dazzling ray of hope for those who may be stuck in the shadows.