Who Am I Writing For?

This question comes up again and again in training sessions. People say things like "you need to know your audience" and "you must know who you are writing to" or "try to imagine the woman you are sharing all of your words with." I keep trying to tell myself that I know my audience, but I'm starting to wonder. 

I first started blogging a year or so before Facebook was available to those not using an accredited college email. I never graduated, and I didn't use my old George Fox email, so Facebook wasn't an option for me until closer to 2009. I had mostly been blogging about our family as a way to let my parents, grandparents, and other family members stay up-to-date with what was going on in my life. Naturally, I blogged a lot about what God was doing in the midst of our life circumstances, and things were a bit crazy back then. 

After Cole was born, and our life got to be a bit more stable, I decided to start a blog that was more devotional in nature. I didn't share family pictures (I saved those for Facebook or my other blog) but tried to only write posts that were about things I was learning in church, or at bible study, or scriptures that were really coming alive for me. 

Jovi was born and I dipped my toes into the homeschooling world, and eventually decided to start this blog and gear it more toward homeschooling. When I first began homeschooling, the only blogs I could really find were run by women who seemed to have it all together, at least in a professional sense. They were either long-time-homeschoolers who were also writing fantastic books (Ann Voskamp was one) or business women who homeschooled their two children (obviously one of each gender) and had all kinds of curriculum, printables, and other sorts of stuff for sale. I wanted to do something different. 

I came at it realizing that homeschooling was less about the exact stuff you do and more about the way in which you do anything and everything. I was not a pro (I still am not) and had no creations of my own to sell (though I often wish I did) but I wanted pursuing God to be at the heart of everything. 

I wanted homeschooling mothers to have someone they could look at and say "Hey, if she can do it imperfectly and say it is still worth it, then maybe it's still worth it for my family too." I wanted moms to see that their willingness to learn and was a tool within their reach, a tool that would serve their family and enable them to teach well. I know I learn best when I am teaching, and everything I teach sticks with me far longer and is much more clear than anything I learn only for myself. 

Because I am a Christian, everything I write about comes from my eternal perspective. For this reason, I have a hard time only catering to homeschool moms. While we are a special class of people (not MORE special, just different), I also have things I want to share with women who are not homeschoolers. I hate to kind of "shut out" that whole other realm of women who don't homeschool (and might hate reading my blog because of the abundance of homeschooling posts) for the sake of having a more defined niche. And that struggle leaves me waffling. 

A couple years ago I changed my blog name from "Braving the Blackboard" to my name, joellenarmstrong.com, for writing/marketing/platform purposes. I wasn't convinced I wanted to write only for homeschoolers, but I still have a little debate going on about it in my head. I understand homeschooling better than traditional schooling. I know the unique struggles moms have who forfeit a day-job, a career, or even just the ability to clean their house without people at their ankles. I keep wondering if maybe they are who I should be writing to more intentionally. 

I have ideas about who I am writing for, but I'm still not totally sure. I want to come up with a better list regarding who that woman is before the end of the month, because I think it will give me better direction for what my daily writing should look like in February. I also just want to be more focused about why I am blogging, why I share what I share, and pray more intentionally over the people my blog will be reaching. 

In all of this, I keep forgetting that God knows. God knows who needs the words He is putting in my heart. He knows what route to take, what topic to talk about, when I need to be working on what, and where it will all lead. 

I am sensing a pattern to the end of all my posts. I keep realizing how God really has all these things in His hands, and how silly it is for me to just keep passing by Him while trying to work hard on all my endeavors. He's what I want, and He's what I want for you too. In Him are all the things we all need and to Him I will keep on pointing and turning. And I hope you'll keep turning and walking with me. 

Chores and More Chores.

I'm not sure if there are people who actually like chores. I mean, we all like when they are done right? But do real (sane) people actually like doing them just because?

I am actually a far better housewife than I was before I had kids. It's like as the pressure got greater to keep things tidy I finally stepped it up a bit. But then we just added another kid, then another, then started homeschooling. When it's not school-season I actually do a pretty good job :)

There is one chore, however, that I am almost always on top of: laundry! I know, weird right?

If I am far behind on laundry, you know that I am overwhelmed. I don't even think my husband has run out of clean undies even once in 15 years. That's a pretty good track record!

On the flip-side, there are a lot of chores I am TERRIBLE at staying on top of. For instance, vacuuming. It's a good thing we do not have pets. And last summer, when we were waiting to see when our carpet was going to finally be removed and we'd be kicked out for a while, I pretty much just stopped vacuuming. I mean, what was the point? Dust, dead skin, allergens... I know, I know.

Also, don't ask me about dusting. I never do it! Maybe a few times a year. It always feels good to have it done, but man, I just never even think about it until we are hosting Thanksgiving or something crazy like that.

I have been so much better with my plants though. Watering them on a pace that is right for each of them. I'm pretty proud that they are all alive, growing larger, and staying the right shade of green. Hopefully my orchid will re-bloom this year (I've had it for 8 months). I'm even thinking it's almost time to get a bigger plant to put somewhere, if I can convince Mark that is.

I'm decent at sweeping, and while I'm not terrible at dishes, I let them pile up a bit more than Mark prefers. I kind of leave everything until 4pm and then do a whole day's worth at once right before I make dinner. But Mark can't leave them that long, so he usually does a bunch in the morning or after dinner.

I'm decent at sweeping, and I have made a huge improvement in making my bed on a more regular basis - either Mark or I have been making it at least 5+ days each week! I think to improve as a wife, cleaning is the one thing Mark would love to see. He doesn't nag me about it thankfully, and now that the kids are far more helpful it is less of a disaster than it used to be. Progress is what we're looking for, right?

What chores are your favorite? Anything you are working to do better this year? Give me your best tips! And if you're like me, share with me your cleaning woes ;) Have a great weekend!

It Could Be Better.

I think I've shared this story before.

In High School, our choir director always gave the Seniors a parting gift and a little speech, sharing with the class what he appreciated and noticed in those students. My best friend Tina got a stud-finder, because she could always spot the cutest boy in a crowd ;) He said other nice things about her too, don't worry. When my turn came, he gave me a tape measure. He said I was someone he could count on to always be measuring how we were doing and notice where we could improve.

While I knew that to be true about myself, I don't think I'd really noticed how it impacted my day-to-day life. When you are young, your life can be so busy with so many exciting things. You are growing, searching for the next opportunity, and doors for adventure, schooling, relationships are all opening and closing left and right. But as an adult, I find myself with a lot more time (definitely too much time) where I am waiting for something and my thoughts begin to hurl me around and drag me places I don't really want to go.

When I was a dance team captain, this measuring-instinct served me very well. As a track athlete, it was useful to naturally be looking at where I needed to improve and strategize how to make that happen. It was fun! There was always hope at the end of that "I am getting better at this" that made it exciting and worthwhile. Fast-forward to my life now, and the constant measuring and seeing how I could be doing things better can get really old, really fast.

How can I get a better handle on dinners? How can I do a better job keeping up on household chores? How could my Instagram look better? How can my blog be better so that people want to read it? Maybe it's just my content - what better topics can I write about? Discontent with my body and appearance leads me to asking what kind of hairstyle, clothing style, or exercises I can put into the mix to look better. I don't actually want to know all the things I get distracted by that make my life "not as good" as I'd like it to be, but I can't help but see how everything could be improved at least a little bit.

In the workplace, this skill-set is SO helpful. I am that trustworthy employee who will not do things halfway, but I'm cautious enough about coming across as a know-it-all to take my time in making helpful suggestions. But, at home, that skill-set needs a lot of wrangling. And man, I am wrestling with it a lot lately.

Not everything needs to be better in order to be good, to be enjoyable, or to be worthwhile. There are lots of times when "good enough" is good enough for me, but lately I'm struggling to reign in that desire to make everything slightly better. I want to be better in a lot of ways that just don't work with my current responsibilities - I can only be awake so many hours! I know I can always do more, but that feeling of knowing I can do more is putting a pressure on myself that I just don't love.

I want to make this blog better, to be a better writer, to be a better homeschool mom, and have a better body in a lot of shallow ways. In all of this struggle though, I find myself even more frustrated that I don't often have the same desire to be better when it comes to following Christ. Maybe because I know it's hard work. I know it's good work, and that I will never regret it, but it's just another sacrifice to live more for Him than for myself, and making myself a priority often sounds like a lot more fun.

I'm still in the middle of this, just trying to get some thoughts off my chest, log my 500 words (I'm well over that now), and be a bit more transparent about what I'm walking through. Nothing crazy, nothing pivotal, just an internal struggle that crops up from time to time. I am sure hoping it's not just me!

What about you? Have you got an internal thing going on lately that you are putting off dealing with? Something to need to face that just sounds more like torture than progress? It's not just you girl. Keep at it.

How It's Going.

Hey friends! 

So far, most of these "daily challenge" posts have been about random subjects and topics that have just popped into my head. How has it been for you?

After a prompt from the regularly scheduled email this morning, I figured I'd sit and write about how this challenge is going for me so far. 

It hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would. I have lots of thoughts! It's not hard for me to come up with stuff to write about every day. That really isn't the problem I face in my day-to-day writing endeavors. 

So many authors say the most important thing you need to do as a writer is to write every day. But I'm curious how they actually write every day. Do they pick something random? Pick up where they left off in writing their book or proposal? I suppose if you have assignments and due dates that you work that stuff in where it needs to be (at least I would) but what else are they writing every day? 

I guess I used to assume that in order to write every day I had to have something "publishable" to be working on. My book(s), my proposal, a planned out blog post... something like that. And don't get me wrong, I have tons of stuff I could be writing about, but if I don't have an actual plan for when it needs to be done, turned in, or published, I tend to leave it on the back burner. Maybe it's just me, but it's kind of hard to just work on something you know might never go anywhere. 

I know, I know, God uses all that stuff. Nothing is really wasted. Even if something I write never gets anywhere, the practice of writing will bring value to the future projects I undertake. It's also hard for me to just slowly chip away at things. I like to have everything all outlined and planned out. And once I get in a groove, I hate to leave off when I need to get in bed or get to homeschooling or some (dull) housekeeping task. Funny, because I kind of dream of the scattered/artist-type life (that I'm sure if a terrible stereotype) of writing at crazy hours and have periods of immense seclusion from where I emerge all, I don't know, fulfilled? But that is kind of a crazy expectation. And the me that exists without much sleep is a me NO ONE wants to deal with.

So, how is this month going for me so far? I like the daily habit, but I'm unsure of how exactly to continue it. Maybe I ought to sit and plan out my writing days better? Maybe I need to sort out some possible topics to write about or plan for some outlining to help give me some structure when I sit down to write. I just don't know how to organize things to best serve my endeavors. 

I know it would help to have my endeavors written down somewhere, or even better, to really know them inside and out! I'm definitely getting there. And I know that writing every day has only helped (and I'm sure will continue to help) me get closer to being the kind of writer and hard-working artist I want to be. 

Back in the Groove.

Getting back into homeschooling again this week has been a little rough. No one has been overly grumpy, but I've been very easily distracted. Last week we kind of took things slow, and without CC starting back up yet, I still had a bit more free time than usual. The last two days I've had to prep for tutoring, and then we'll be at CC all day tomorrow. Then later in the week, both the boys will have more work than we've had the last week and a half.

I'm not sure why this makes me so grumpy. I love what homeschooling does for my family. I guess I'm not totally content with what it requires of me. I've always been the type of person who has a side-projects and other endeavors I want to pursue, and it's true that homeschooling requires me to put those (or at least the timeline for pursuing those) on the back burner. 

I finished reading my first book of the year the other day... A Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Vanauken. It was really excellent. The first 1/3 of the book was a bit slow, a little romantic and gushy for my liking. I'm not really the romantic type, so trying to relate to some of that loftiness was just whatever for me. Still, my curiosity kept me going.

I won't spoil the book, but at the very end the author begins to talk about what he's learned through the very intense trial he endured. He starts to consider time. At the beginning, him and his love saw that if their love was to last, they would have to fight against separateness all their days. But much later he saw that that he, and all of humanity, is really always fighting against time. Even in their togetherness, they were seeking a way to hold onto and keep something as long as they could. The rest of this really gets good when he begins to speculate about eternity. 

I've always thought of heaven and eternity often, ever since I was little. Just realizing that I cannot comprehend it is something I like to attempt to grasp - a fun brain-teaser of sorts. But Sheldon starts thinking about the timelessness of eternity and how it frees us from so many things. We will have all the time we need to enjoy the beautiful world God has for His children. Not a moment ever wasted, never any time that got by us, never something we won't be available to enjoy. Now that is wild.

I think I never really thought about how much I fight against time. I always want more. In my more honest moments I can see that not having the time I want for the endeavors I want is what makes me a cranky woman. But after reading that bit from Sheldon, I started to realize that as God's daughter, I will have all the time I ever need for everything good I will ever do. 

In my head I know that my life won't end. Yes, I will die physically, but I'll get a new, restored body with the same soul. I so easily forget that my eternal life is a continuation of this one, not a completely different one. And there is nothing I must do here on earth that God won't give me time to do. No certain success that I need to feel pressured to gain, no pressing agendas that He will just sit by and watch me fail to do. And that is a promise I can bank on today. Even when all my progress is slow, sloppy, and just plain less good than I wish it to be, I can trust that I have all the time I need to make it as He pleases. 

That's the key: as He pleases. 

When I am pleased with what pleases Him, then I am at rest. My own agenda will never give me rest. Sure, success feels awesome, and being thought of as awesome is even better. But really, it's living a life pleasing to God that will be the best sort of awesome feeling I can ever find. And the funny thing is, the more content I am to make that my agenda, the more I love the rest of my life. 

Too Many Pens.

Is it possible to have too many pens? Maybe too many crappy pens, but I don't think having an abundance of lovely, well-working, colorful pens is ever something I will feel bad about.

Like I said before, I spent all my birthday money on art supplies and books, and that included quite a few sets of new pens. I also got some pens and notebooks as Christmas gifts, so I'm getting to be pretty well stocked (but by all means, send more if you insist). I'm learning the ins and outs of what makes a pen nice, what makes it good for certain tasks, and what price-point feels like "good enough" for me.

Today another set of brush pens arrived. I have a couple sets of the Tombow Dual Brush Pens that I like quite a lot, but I saw someone on Instagram using the Ecoline Brush Pens and thought I'd order myself a set. At first I did feel a little bit bad for using my Amazon points on more markers, but after using them a little I realized it was just what I needed to learn a few lessons.

1- Every marker or pen has a different hardness, density, and inkiness that makes it write and look different.

2- You cannot know what markers or pens are best for what until you spend time experimenting.

3- I don't think I'll ever get sick of playing with markers and pens.


Never tried a brush pen? Well, here are a few things to know.

A softer brush end makes it harder to use in some ways; you have to be more precise and steady. But it's also easier to use because, if you've been practicing, it gives you a huge range of thickness to thinness in your lines, making it really fun to write with.

The inkiness of the pen really matters. It will give a different look with different amounts of pressure, and it can affect the sharpness of your edges (that kind of depends on the paper you are using too).

There will be a lot of trial and error going on, probably forever. I bought my first set of brush pens about 3 years ago, and while I was using them frequently for the first 6-ish months, they've just been used on and off for most of the last 2 years. Over the last several months, I've been getting more into that craft again and I'm having a ton of fun, but I'm still honing my skills and there are still a million things to learn.

You can learn a lot from watching other people letter, reading or listening to what they have to say about their likes and dislikes of certain products, but at some point you really just have to jump in and start. You can store up a lot of knowledge, but it will only really help you when you start making mistakes and are able to apply that knowledge to what happens.

Lastly, paying good attention to detail is a skill you MUST gain. It's just pivotal in art. Otherwise, it will take you ages to learn things, and you'll just have to hope that someone points things out to you, or writes about them. Being able to notice subtle movement differences, ink and paper combinations, and techniques in stokes and methods are all going to be most helpful if you can figure out how to connect the dots without being told directly.

Honestly, I think paying attention to detail probably comes more naturally to some than others, but it's something worth striving to grow in. It will make you a valuable asset in whatever role you function during your days and in whatever job you might get down the road.

I hope this has been a fun little insightful post. Let me know if you have questions about lettering or pens - I love to talk about what I'm learning!

His Forever.

This morning we sang a song in church that hasn't come up for quite a while. I love it for many reasons... one being we tend to sing it in a range that is SO perfect for my voice. Yes, I know, that's one of the least important things to love about a song praising Jesus, but still, it makes it fun to sing. The melody is also very lovely, again not the most important factor, but still it's just another reason to enjoy singing it. Mostly, it's the lyrics and where they lead my thoughts that gets me every time.

Jesus, friend of sinners

Loved me 'ere I knew Him

Drew me with His cords of love

Tightly bound me to Him

'Round my heart still closely twined

The bond that none can sever

For I am His and He is mine

Forever and forever

Jesus, friend of sinners

A crown of thorns you wore for me

Bruised for my transgressions

Pierced for my iniquities

The wrath of God that I deserved

Was poured out on the innocent

He took my place, my soul to save

Now I am His forever

Jesus, friend of sinners

I love to tell the story

Redeeming love has been my theme

And will be when in glory

Not death nor life nor anything

Can ever separate me

Oh, love that will not let me go

Yes, I am His forever

by Pat Sczebel and Sovereign Grace Music

You really must listen to the actual song. It's so good. The melody just goes so well with the words and really helps your mind to settle into the calm joy that resonates in this song.

The line that really got me this morning was "Redeeming love has been my theme." Do you sense a theme in your life? God's provision maybe? His healing? Or maybe it's of miraculous rescue? 

I can't remember when, but during some training I was listening to, they recommended writing down every single prominent memory you could quickly recall in succession over the course of your life. Yes, that might take a while! But the woman encouraged us to do it without much thought, just quickly spending 20-ish minutes writing a bunch of things down. The woman leading this training was trying to help us get our "life theme" out in a rather simple way. 

If you sit and think about your life too much, it's easy to get bogged down by little things or get overly detailed about traumatic situations and miss the big picture. It's often easy to look at the lives of other people and see the big picture of what God has done in them, but often difficult to see that same zoomed-out image of our own. So with this tool I sat and wrote. I don't really remember where it led me, but it's not the point of what I wanted to share anyway. 

I guess I'm rambling a bit, but I wanted to encourage you to look at your life in this zoomed-out way, as much as you're able. There is something God is doing, some story He is telling with your life. It's His, and it will bring Him glory, and it's not our job to determine what that story will be. It's our job to live it well, to love God in all of it, and to point to His love and sacrifice as the anchor of our hope. Whether His glory is displayed through healings, through maintaining joy despite suffering pain, through keeping a commitment that feels unbearable, or through the blessing of beautiful relationships... it's all for His glory. 

I want to remember that His story is being written no matter what my ambitions are or what goals I desire to achieve. Remembering that I am His forever, and that the theme of my life revolves around what He is orchestrating helps me chill out and enables me to just enjoy what He puts before me, instead of resenting it or becoming jealous of others. If it's good enough for God's plans to glorify Himself through me, it's definitely good enough for me to enjoy.

Make sure you follow this link to listen to that song too... you won't be disappointed!