Looking back, it’s hard for me to picture being such a quiet kid, careful with her words and how she said them, because I have so much to say… as long as I have the courage to speak them out loud.
Hey, I’m Liz SanFilippo Hall, a recovering people pleaser. My mind has been spinning today, just like it does most days, with ideas and thoughts, and asking myself: how can I help people dig deeper into their stories? To understand the stories they carry… and, in turn, themselves? And shouldn’t I start with my own stories, to show people how I’ve given myself permission (finally!) to tell my stories?
I’ve loved to read and write my entire life. I think that is the only “consistent” thing I could say about myself.
My mind spins.
It jumps from thought to thought… is this because of how our society/culture/whatever you want to call the world we live in now works? That information is at the tip of our fingers, and we can find things with just a few clicks of the keyboard?
I keep changing how I’ve organized my stories. And how I tell them.
A lot of my stories are in my journals.
I have a full Google Drive of them, from my years as a hot dog reporter to my ramblings about books and writing.
I have files on my desktop, including a folder labeled “random side projects.”
But don’t let that fool you… My creative projects aren’t so easily organized.
I’m currently writing two novels, but my brain occasionally jumps to another idea, which is why I have a running list of “WIP ideas.” But I’ve learned if I’m going to make progress on anything, I need…
I keep changing what I want Oops & Daisies to be, as I figure out how to best share my writing.
I have this blog.
I have a Substack.
I self-published a picture book.
My debut novel, Becoming Charlotte Corday, comes out next year.
As mentioned before, I have so many journals and notebooks I long ago lost count.
Wait, I didn’t finish that earlier thought… If I’m going to make progress on anything, I need to FOCUS and finish something. But I also know that my brain thrives on novelty and learning and moving around and around. I’ve never been diagnosed with ADHD, but I highly suspect I have it. It’s why I let myself work on two big projects (like novels) per month.
But then I launch a microfiction challenge on Instagram (going on now and for the next 21 business days).
I write blog posts. Newsletters. Website copy. And all sorts of freelance writing/editing work that I can’t really discuss “out loud” because of NDAs and confidentiality agreements.
My life is full of words. Some are stories that belong to others, and some only belong to me.
And where do all these stories go? That’s the question I keep coming back to.
I’ve “changed” what Oops & Daisies has been focused on at least three times (you won’t find them now, but I used to write about beauty, skincare, and makeup on here). Oops!
Now I mostly share about the creative life here, with gift guides and such (hey, a girl has to make money to feed her creativity, and affiliate links help).
But I also write about my multi-hyphenate passions and creativity on Substack, too.
And now, most recently, I started Open Window Lit, but that is geared more toward creating and holding spaces for other women who have ideas and need a place to put them too… publishing opportunities are coming.
So many places to find me and my words, and we’ve barely even talked about my books yet.
But maybe I need to stop worrying about putting my words/stories into different “boxes.” Maybe I just need to keep showing up. Keep sharing. Keep being messy. Keep having fun with my creativity. Maybe I need to do more stream-of-consciousness style writing like this.
Because if there’s one other true thing about me, along with my lifelong love of stories and storytelling, it’s my belief that when we tell stories and truly listen, we learn to connect. We learn not just to feel, but to feel deeply. And telling stories takes practice.
That’s what I want my writing to do, too: to evoke that sense of wonder in life, to remember that we’re all connected, and to remind people that we are far from alone. And no, I’m not talking about aliens, at least not right now.
Want to chat about writing, creativity, and life in the “messy middle” with me? I host free co-writing spaces and partner with people to help them tell the stories that are begging to be told.
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