This above all: to thine own self be true.

One of my favorite quotes.

I’ve been taking some time off-line to pursue a new career path, and it has left me very little time for recreational writing. While the work I’ve been doing has been interesting and rewarding, there’s been a component of self-expression missing that I am itching to return to.

I’ve discovered that even when your plate is full to overflowing, it’s still possible for there to be a void. That empty spot is the one where my “writing just for the sake of it” used to be. The time has come to fill it again.

So, I’ve decided to challenge myself this year. I’m going to write something every day for the next 365 days. It won’t be easy–I have a full-time job, kids to raise, and some trips coming up with no internet access–but I’m going to give it a shot and see it where it takes me. I have a friend who is doing a similar challenge with his photography, taking a “Photo a Day” and posting it on Facebook. Some days, the photos are just pleasant, some days, they’re absolutely brilliant. I’m sure he finds it a grind sometimes, but there have been those moments when he captures something truly unique and unexpected. Those are the ones that keep you going.

Day 1. So far so good.

cartoon by John Jonick, The New Yorker