Dairy of a Creator, December 2024 – Stagnant

Last month of the year! The pressure to ‘make it’ as a creator is sky-high!

Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic but let me give you some context-

I’m on an indefinite solo adventure with very limited resources. Minimal income and minimal savings are backing this journey but this is the journey of piqued pilgrim – to learn skills and arts from across the world. Well, right now all we can afford is to do things in India but there is some fascinating stuff here that’s been on my bucket list for a while now.

The point is that we are one month into the journey and the only way I can sustain this journey beyond 3 months is to start landing collaborations with organisations that are teaching the stuff I want to learn. That’s what I mean by making it as a creator.

I already am behind on this as November didn’t go as well as planned. But I have to make it happen in December. Will I?

December 2, Monday

I posted a chill reel today about the joy of small things. Honestly, I keep oscillating between strictly important and meaningful pieces to allow myself to create with freedom. But I don’t know. I was so excited to share this reel but after I posted it, I didn’t feel very good.

December 4, Wednesday

I wrote a piece for my newsletter today and I think it should replace the About section of this blog.
It’s about why I’m the Piqued Pilgrim and it gave me goosebumps as I wrote it because I have never been able to articulate the core or how it came to be this well!

I’m so happy.

December 5, Thursday

Newsletter day! I sent out the piece I wrote yesterday: The Many Lives I Long to Live – Discovering my path through curiosity, characters, and connection

I also shared a post on how much we truly hold on to from our travels. I love both the pieces from today!

December 6 to 11 Creative block

This was a week of struggle. Ideas kept evading me and motivation was non-existent. With so much happening with training, people leaving and even my health, I just didn’t find it in myself to create something.

I tried many times and kept pulling blanks. I only managed to get through the freelance work which in itself felt like a miracle. But the pressure is too much now. I need to get things rolling. A lot is pending in the pipeline and I need to start pitching for the next part of the adventure. I can’t keep going like this.

December 12, Thursday

I thought newsletter day would be my cure but it wasn’t. So, I took an intentional day off and to my surprise, the day went all too well! Beautiful weather, amazing pictures, unplanned short trip, good rest and a croissant!

December 13, Friday

I woke up well-rested. Still, my mind pulled a blank.

But I’m done with waiting for inspiration. I decided to work off the creative block. It’s okay if I create average pieces but things are going to be put out today. Here’s what I managed-

• Substack Newsletter – When the universe sends rain and croissants
• Blog – Diary of a Creator: September & October 2024 – A Season of Transition
• Blog – November edition of Diary of a Creator.

December 14, Saturday

Posted a collaboration reel – The magic of slow travel… Travel friendship special!

Also, the first blog on the Kalaripayattu experience went live today – A Journey into Kalaripayattu at a Gurukul in Kerala

December 16, Monday

I posted a carousel today on the beauty of solo and slow travel! It did decently I guess.

December 18, Wednesday

Today was a solid work day. I wrote the newsletter for tomorrow and scheduled it – What do you miss, even when you’re happy?

After ages of waiting for inspiration, I have finally written the next two scripts for the New Roads, New Skills series which feels like such a win!

December 19, Thursday

The primary goal was to shoot today. But I couldn’t get myself to, instead, I wrote a bunch of scripts and outlines for two blogs in a frenzy. Not sure if they are all going to look good to me tomorrow.

December 20, Friday

It feels like it’s been ages! I finally managed to create a reel in my favourite format – random clips and the story in the voiceover. And today’s one was something I have not been able to stop thinking about – The shitty thing about being a traveller.

I also managed to post a note on Susbtack after 2 weeks. This is the easiest thing I can do to grow. Yet, I struggle so much with it.

The pressure is building. I’m 1.5 months into this journey. I should have had some content from Kalaripayattu and started pitching for my next adventures by now. But I’m far from it. Have to catch up within the next week.

December 21, Saturday

The blog The Struggles of Travelling with Painful Periods: A Female Traveller’s Reality went live today. That makes 4 blogs for this month! I think after setting the goal for months, this is the first time I have managed to publish 4 blogs in a month. I’m thrilled!

I also posted a note on Substack that I’m not very sure about.

December 23, Monday

Give it a few days break and it gets hard to get in front of the camera again! What the heck! I have been putting off filming a reel for New Road, New Skill series for four days now.

December 24, Tuesday

Today was definitely a “write-from-the-cafe” kind of day! I ended up finishing this week’s newsletter, and I’m really happy with how it turned out—it’s scheduled to go out on Thursday, as usual. After weeks of brainstorming, I finally nailed down a story angle for a blog that I’m genuinely excited about. I even wrote the draft today! There are a few gaps to fill, but I’ll gather some info to finish it off.

As for the next reel… I’m still putting that off!

December 26, Thursday

Love the newsletter that went out today – The lame (real) reason behind everything I do

Also, I have pitched to a few surf schools for collaborations rather nervously. Let’s see how that goes.

December 28, Saturday

After two days of wallowing in self-doubt, I decided to create a reel talking about the progress I did make—even if the year didn’t exactly go as planned or align with my goals.

At the start of the month, I put way too much pressure on myself to make this the breakthrough month. That pressure drained all my creativity. Lesson learned: I’m done forcing it. From now on, I’ll just create what feels right in the moment.

December 29 – 31st, Year End

I decided to cool off for the last 3 days but not without guilt. All of my pitches to collaboration were rejected. I’m still too small of a creator to be working with surf schools.

Monthly Reflection of a Creator

I could’ve done so much better this month. I’m taking two lessons from this average month though –

• To consider creation as PLAY – to take pressure off the creativity
• To prioritise this play over other things – because it’s been very easy to put ‘living in the moment’ and ‘dealing with issues’ over it.

I have to show up to my content creation like I show up for my clients irrespective of other things in my life.

My stats reflect my input this month- no significant growth. But, hey, even not regressing too much is a nice little win.

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