This is an eastern lilikoi blossom. You may have seen them as ornamental yard vines or growing wild with other weeds off sidewalks. I first noticed them in our neighborhood, decorating a mailbox. I didn't know what they were, but I couldn't shake the feeling that they looked just like the blooms on lilikoi vines in Hawaii.
Turns out, they are very similar.
Either way, the blossom itself is a beautiful display of natural glory. If pollinated, it will grow fruit resembling limes. When eaten too early, the seeds inside the fruit are spongy and flavorless. Only when the fruit is wrinkled and looks almost rotten is it ready to eat.
I find my creative ideas are similar. They start out boasting many colors on canvas, paper, or mental storylines. Then, they're pollinated with supporting connections and worked until logic produces a path. I've been tempted to stop at the "lime phase" when my concept is close enough to float. The problem is, I want my ideas to swim deeper and catch what's under the surface.
Sometimes I need to step away from an idea for a month, several months, or even years to get it to a place of true potential. Any idea has merit as long as I don't abandon it. It may change forms, directions, and I may face my own self-doubt or even static from others telling me to give it up. But if I keep pushing forward, if I keep looking for a way, a way will present itself. That's the beauty of creating.
The final product won't appeal to everyone, but it will appeal to me. If I push this idea into a novel and pitch it to agents, it could vibe with them, too. If I enjoy it, some others will.
Creating is a business of "coulds." We sabotage ourselves when we give in to negativity. I'm reminding myself and anyone else with doubts to keep dumping creative compost on those ideas as long as they have our attention. Yes, the bright green fruit phase is appealing, and it could go somewhere. But what if we let the idea ferment? Let it reach a place where it's been battered and assaulted at every angle until it looks worn out and overripe, put it away, then rediscover it with fresh eyes?
Could it become one of our greatest accomplishments? It could.
When I first set out to write after college, I got discouraged early on. Writing an entire novel was a lofty ordeal I had never managed until recent years. After I wrote one, I wrote another. And another. Short stories followed. Then I got into critiques. The learning process has been gradual but rewarding. And the more I learn, the more I'm reminded how subjective the business is.
I read books every year that aren't my favorite. Either I wished the author paid more attention to some aspect of story development, or the story itself didn't go where I hoped. But, when I read reviews about a book I found mediocre, I find many rave reviews. The proof is there.
If I keep creating, keep querying, keep persisting to write what I enjoy, eventually I could get published. It may not be the book I'm currently pitching, and it may not be my next book. But perseverance is key in this game. If I believe in my ideas, someone out there will, too.
And so, I'll keep doing what I enjoy. Maybe it will pay off, maybe not. But the people I meet along the way, those who cheer me on and believe in my creativity, they are my true reward.
Keep on smilin'!
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