“Writing for Wellbeing”

Hello once more. Time does have a way of flying, doesn’t it? You might’ve noticed, things have shifted a bit around here. From the familiar landscapes of FemmePowered, we’re now venturing into the calming aura that’s good in my soul. Now, I could try to sum up this transformation in a few words, but if you’ve journeyed with me before, you’re well aware that my musings tend to sprawl. Brevity in writing? Still a work in progress for me. But bear with me as I attempt to thread the needle between detail and conciseness. Shall we begin?

When I launched FemmePowered, I was navigating the turmoil of leaving an abusive marriage. My writings—steeped in themes of empowerment, personal transformation, and healing from trauma—found resonance both with women locally and among the diaspora. While I initially wrote for my own catharsis, the growing response made me hope to deeply affect others. However, as a recovering perfectionist, I can now say that I began to rely too heavily on external validation. When my work echoed with success, the applause was deafening. Yet, when there was a disconnect, I grappled with feelings of discouragement and felt misaligned with my audience.

With the passage of time and the deepening of my narrative, my online engagement lessened and events paused, largely influenced by the pandemic. In the hush that enveloped the world during the pandemic’s early days, the reflective silences reminded me that the essence of my writing wasn’t about the occasional external commendation, but about tracing a journey — uniquely mine.”

I turned to the pages of my journal again, pouring out thoughts with raw intensity. When asked about the blog, which now lay in a dusty corner of the interwebs, my answer was always, “I’m on a project.” Indeed, I was — the project was me. Curious queries about events were met with a promise of “something in the works.” In reality, I was working on crafting a purposeful life, shielded from scrutiny. This introspective journey, which I kept close to my heart, enabled a type of growth that’s hard to articulate. I was thriving quietly in my lane and as a consequence, my story and writing were shifting. It was no longer about the relentless pursuit of empowerment or excellence but about mindful living, slowing down, colliding with grace, and finding inner peace. This metamorphosis laid the groundwork for this new space – Writing for Wellbeing with Carlana.