The Very Beginning Of My Book


    MietzeB, You Are Your Own Guru, postcard set for: Als een luchtballon op een reuzenrad botst. Gids voor een betekenisvol leven, 2019. www.mietzeb.nl

Creating new stuff is fun. It doesn’t matter whether it is a homemade cake, an article or a performance in the local theatre: allowing your creativity to come out is one of the most healthy, nourishing and fulfilling things you can do for yourself.

In April 2018, when I sat down to do my daily writing, I got the inspiration to write a book. Here’s what I received (text has been copied from my journal):

It’s time to write on my book. It is what wants to get through me right now. Through my fingers, through my heart, through my typing. I’ll just keep going. I log into what it is in me right now, in my heart, that wants to be written and shared. I let go of all my expectations of what the book should be like, in what language it should be published, in what style or even what kind of book it will be. I just observe what emerges, as I know that I am supposed to do this now. (…)

It is time for me to spend one and a half hour on writing every other day. So here I am, showing up. As I write, I will discover what it is that needs to be seen, heard and shared. ‘Open book’ , is what I receive. This includes everything: the good, the bad and the ugly. Everything. Just write it to the light. And yes, definitely with the end goal to publish it. It is time for you to start to share what you have learned so far. Here is the top ten lessons that you can write about. Just follow this list.

So I did. I jotted down a list with ten guidelines and a short explanation. This list has become the framework for my first book. Every guideline simply turned into a chapter. Later that April, I started with writing a draft version of chapter one. Last December, I finished chapter ten.

Isn’t it just beautiful in what way a new project emerges? Author Elizabeth Gilbert speaks in her book Big Magic about how ideas arrive on your doorstep. It is then up to you whether you answer that call with a yes or a no. This is exactly what I have experienced.

I’m glad I said yes.

I selfpublished ‘Als een luchtballon op een reuzenrad botst’ early February. As the first run got sold out within two (!) days, I have made a second edition. It arrives this Friday. You can make your order here. Books will be shipped on Monday, February 25th. The price is ten euros.

As I fell in love with the illustrations MietzeB made for the book, I asked her to make a set of six postcards along with the book. The image above shows one of them. The postcard set costs six euros. If you order the book before February 28th, you receive the postcard set at a 50% discount. Don’t forget to use coupon code LUCHTBALLON at the check out.