You may or may not have noticed: my usual prolific rate of designing new beading tutorials has dropped off this year. So, why is that? Does it mean I’m giving up beading? You’ll have to wait for an answer to that second question! The answer to the first is, I’ve been working on a new project, called Finding My Energy.
That’s the working title for a book I’m writing. It has always been my dream to publish a book. And yes, I have already fulfilled that dream with all the beading books I’ve shared with you. But I also felt that I would end up writing a “proper” book…you know, the sort with lots of words, no diagrams and no pictures!
So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do this year. Exciting? Yes. Scary? Absolutely terrifying! Why am I doing this? And is now the right time for it? Well, I’m inviting you to answer at least one of those questions…
What is Finding my Energy all about?
In a nutshell, this is my story of finding my energy once more after living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for the past twenty years.
Why am I doing this? I wanted to help other people. So, this isn’t simply a “what happened to Katie” kind of book. It’s what a professional publisher would call, “a teaching memoir”. In other words, I’m taking my experience and using that to help my readers (that might be you)…
Create a roadmap through the Chronic Fatigue maze and back to living with your highest vitality and energy.
Why am I writing this?
Over the past twenty years, I’ve done a LOT of research in order to find my own energy. Through that research, I’ve come to understand what has been happening in my own body. I’ve experimented with different practices and healing modalities, and worked with several practitioners in my quest to recover. Along the way, I’ve been curiously asking the questions:
- why did that work?
- and (more often) why did that NOT work?
And I believe I have reached some answers that could help others who are wanting to pursue their own recovery path.
Could this help you?
Now, every individual’s experience with this illness is different. So, that means everyone needs a slightly different path back to living their most energised life. Which is why I’m not writing a prescription for a set of actions. In my experience, that simply doesn’t work, and that’s why we’re still sitting here saying we don’t have a cure for CFS. That part is true: we don’t have a magic pill, or even a single treatment or therapy that will return everyone to their most energised self.
However, that isn’t the same things as saying, “you’re stuck like this for life.” Which can feel like the message you are receiving from your doctor when you are given a diagnosis. I – and a lot of other people like me – have discovered that there are many paths you can pursue that will put you back in control of your symptoms, and allow you to recover at least some, if not all, of the energy you’ve lost.
So, if you’re prepared to accept that? How do you find those paths and how do you know which ones to follow? Well, that’s what Finding My Energy is going to be sharing with you.
So, is that a book you would read? Or do you know someone who would want to read that? If you want to vote “yes” to either question, please follow this link.
Am I qualified to be writing this book?
My answer to that question depends on who you ask. You see, all the things that seemingly don’t qualify me to write this, are also the very things that make me the perfect person to be doing this.
I’m not a doctor. I have no scientific background worth speaking of. So, you might feel that only doctors and scientific researchers are “allowed” to write about how to recover from illness. On the other hand, the fact that I have recovered should make my story interesting. How did I do it? What can you learn from my experience?
And, strangely, the fact that it took me twenty years is another bonus. I haven’t simply learned how to recover: I’ve also learned how to live with no energy. I built Beadflowers, frequently working from my sickbed. So, this isn’t only about recovery: it’s also an exploration of what it feels like to live with CFS and how to manage those feelings so that the illness doesn’t put an end to your dreams.
Should I be going ahead with this project?
That’s the question buzzing around my head at the moment. My good old friend, Impostor Syndrome, is raising her head and constantly telling me that writing, let alone trying to publish, Finding My Energy, is a really bad idea.
So, I thought I would reach out and ask for some help here. Many of you have been following my work for many years (thank you – I wouldn’t be here without you!). I also know that many of you are also living with, or trying to recover from CFS. And now, we have long-COVID on the scene too.
My question to you is: would this latest project of mine be of interest and benefit to you – or to someone you know?
I’m not asking you to commit to anything, but if you are curious, I would love to share a chapter of the book with you, for free, when I have it ready. If you would like to read that, then please follow this link and leave your details to join the waitlist. Thank you!
