juliajieunkim

This writing piece is part of a 30 day writing challenge.

Rules of the challenge

1. Write for 30 mins for 30 days
2. Don’t need to publish it, just write in apple notes as bare minimum
3. Write about grieving for Pepper and exploring my creativity
4. Publish on substack + medium + my website
5. Write from iPad

Day 1: Some things I really like

Here I go, I’m starting my 30 day writing challenge. In the spirit of non perfectionism and letting the words flow out as is, here I begin, let’s go.

I’m not sure if at the start of a writing challenge, if I’m supposed to name that I am doing a 30 day writing challenge, oh well, this is my own challenge so I can make it whatever I want. Ah, the freedom, it’s nice. I like it.

Speaking of what I like, I want to talk about what I like, in today’s piece. I want to share about all the things I like. I want to share and explore for myself, all the things I really really like, for a few reasons.

1. I easily forget what I like at times, and I want to remember it.
2. It’s a fun topic to write about.
3. The topic emerged from my morning pages (that I do daily by hand) so it must be a good one. I trust my morning pages will all of my heart.
4. I am grieving for my senior greyhound who is in her final stages of her life, and with darkness, I need lightness. And writing about all the things that I like seemed just right.

Let me tell you now that my writing set up isn’t perfect. I’ve just come back from my travels, and I am exhausted after 24 hours of transit yesterday from Kamakura > Narita > Incheon (5 hours overlap) > And an 11 hour flight back to Sydney. My nails are SO overgrown right now it’s like I’m writing with chopsticks than my actual fingers.

I’m also writing from my iPad. I connected it to my apple keyboard and Logitech wireless mouse (I did this for the first time not knowing it was possible and I’m quite mind blown and overwhelmingly impressed). And I’m on the apple notes app. On the kitchen counter. In my pajamas, with unwashed hair, and it’s 12:04pm on a Sunday.

The nails which are so overgrown are not ideal, but I think my practise of letting the words just flow out that I get to practise daily through my morning pages, is coming to be quite handy in this moment. That’s probably a good one to start with, my morning pages.

Things I really like

1. My morning pages. If you know me quite well, this would be no surprise to you. I’m quite obsessed with my morning pages. I started doing them since November last year, so it’s been almost 5 months since I’ve picked up this daily habit. What I really love about it is that it’s taught me how to let all the words and emotions and thoughts that were once stuck or blocked by “the inner critic” or “the sensor” as Julia Cameron calls it, can now all flow out as they are, with no judgement and in it’s perfectly imperfect form.  This has helped me in all areas of my life. Whether it’s writing about a topic (like this one about the things I really like), recording a podcast episode and I might usually be unsure about what I might say, or whether I want to draw something when most of my life I thought that “I can’t draw”, but all I have to do is put the pen down and just let it flow without stopping. I forgot to mention that with the morning pages, you write non-stop for 3 pages, and there’s something about the not-stopping, which helps me not think twice and just let whatever is there just flow out. I like what I read after it comes out too, there’s a human essence and loveliness to it that I admire. I’m writing without stopping for this piece too – I wonder if it will translate nicely or not or if it’s just hard to read for you. Well, it doesn’t really matter because I’m just writing for me, and it’s only Day 1 of my challenge. I am sure my writing style will develop.
2. Another thing I love. Ok. Let’s go. Something I really like are eggs. They are high in protein, delicIOUS, and so easy to prepare. They can be eaten many ways too. Lately I’ve been enjoying them boiled, making them the perfect snack to have at home or away from home.
3. Pilates. A gentle practice that helps me reconnect with my body while I move, breathe and hold difficult poses – and with other people too. A shared experience that I really like.
4. Travelling. I really like travelling, a lot. I just came back from a Japan and Korea trip and I really liked being in a new place with so much to explore – food, architecture, the people, the culture, the language, the shopping, the cute stores… it inspires me so much and expands my heart to dream about all the possibilities my life could be, outside of my current suburban life as a corporate worker.
5. Dreaming. I really like dreaming. I’m not talking about the dreams you have once you’ve fallen asleep, but lately I really like the state of dreaming for what’s possible, what I’d love to do and experience, and what I’d love to become and so on. Dreaming is similar to travelling to me – I’m taken to a new place where the world feels expansive and anything is possible. And as my friend Annie says it, dreaming is FREE. Completely free, it’s silly not to dream more.

Here are 5 things I really like. I’m sure I can come up with more but I think this is a good place to end it. I have some breakfast waiting for me, eggs + rice with a special soy sauce specifically for eggs that I bought in japan. So I cannot wait to try it.

What are some things that you really like? And why do you like it? Do you like dreaming and eggs too? There’s so many more things that I like and I hope to share more of it as continue on with my 30 day challenge. Subscribe to follow me along my writing challenge.