Authorship in motion
Rooted in honest truth.
I’ve been seeing the word authorship a lot lately, which naturally led me to reflect on its meaning. If I’m honest I haven’t paid much attention to it before, but with writing my memoir and others I know planning or in the process of writing a book or script, it’s no wonder authorship’s standing out like a sore thumb. Reflecting on this word has been eye-opening. It completely shifted my mindset, because I had been associating it with writing a book. The more I looked into it the clearer it became this isn’t the case.
I could’ve left my reflection at this awareness, but that’s not how I work. I’ll always find the deeper meaning. I’ll always find symbolism. I’ll always look at something like only associating writing a book to authorship and ask what’s this really about? In the context of a book, it’s not only about something as tangible as that. Everything we can tangibly feel and see only exists because we put a desire into action. So when I asked what’s this really about for me, I hesitated.
The response felt stretchy. I didn’t want to come back to this again — a truth that’s existed my entire entrepreneurial journey. And lately it’s been loud, sometimes too hard to sit with, yet it’s my truth.
What’s really underneath my book association to authorship is this…I thought authorship was about validation. Not the internal one that fuels me forward, but the external kind I lean into that stops me. The kind of external validation that raises my anxiety and reduces my autonomy. Stripping it down to its bones, authorship is simple to understand. It’s about self-autonomy without external constraints (or noise) leading the way. It’s about what you can say with certainty this is mine no matter what.
You don’t need external output to tell you that.
Another truth this brings up for me is the mental spirals I go through for business decisions. I have tools to support me, the human running this show, but spirals still creep in and yet my latest self-work is to reduce them through internal congruency that extends beyond a single moment. A momentum I need to keep following with focus so it truly supports my current authorship era.
And because all of the reflection I’ve done has led me into taking action, here are the pillars I keep coming back to so I can continue to do so.
THE PILLARS FOR THIS AUTHORSHIP ERA
Alleviate responsibilities for the first quarter we’re in. This means: a consistent content schedule that works for my capacity and values, focusing on one offer, and following through with what I say I’m going to do for the day, week, and month.
Meditation before, in between tasks, and after the work day. I usually do 10-15 minutes before starting the work day and in between tasks depending on the energy I need. By the end of the day, especially tougher ones, I’ll do 20 minutes.
Experience joy without having to document it. I’ve just now realized how much I haven’t been doing this and why tension for showing up has been happening for a while. As an entrepreneur, thinking about an experience through the lens of how’s what I’m doing going to become a content piece? is fine, but it can’t be for every single thing. All I really want to feel, if I do share is, I’d love to share this!. Distancing myself from wanting to document everything has been quickly piling up my joy.
These 3 pillars are what’s moving this version of my authorship era. Choosing to share this with you has only been possible because of the internal congruency going on for me right now. What I’m banking on most is following through in a way that steadies my nervous system. In a way that doesn’t have me in reactive mode. In a way where I can bring who I am to any table without the grappling of how can I actually do that to this is what’s true in this moment for me.
This is authorship in motion, in its honest truth.
If you need support for your version of authorship in motion, I offer an intimate strategy called Anchor Session. This is for the creative leader who wants to stop second-guessing, get clear about what’s keeping them stuck, and map the way forward. I find it helpful to also share who it’s not for, so I’ve done that for you below.
This isn’t for:
+ Someone who’s unwilling to change course.
+ Someone only looking for a strategy.
+ Someone who wants quick fixes.
+ Someone who wants to stay surface-level.
If you feel the tug, snag a spot here.
I’m Ylani Estwick, a fellow visionary who supports creatives step into their leadership and voice. In my world, we understand what’s underneath the strategy before creating it, because your experience is what informs it best. If you find yourself subscribed to The Cornerstone, thank you so much for your support!
If ya fancy, send this essay to a friend ↓
If you’re new here and want to join the table, I would love to have ya ↓