Aya Collective Publishing

Written by Ebony Aya

In the fast-paced world we live in, filled with responsibilities and obligations, it can be difficult to carve out time for the things our souls ardently crave—creativity. For me, that creativity primarily takes the form of writing, fueled by my spiritual practice—a creative outlet I have turned to for almost two decades.

In my early days of writing, before I had children and work obligations, I found myself writing anytime and anywhere. Whenever I had a moment, I would pull out a notepad and begin transcribing the draft of my first book, Dancing on Hot Coals. It took me about a year and a half to write it, followed by a couple more years of perfecting and editing before I finally released it in 2009.

By the time I finished that book, I had started blogging regularly and was already working on my second book. Then, as I began having children, I wondered when I would find the time to write. Initially, I felt frustrated—until I realized I could align my writing with their feeding and napping schedules. When they were sleeping, I decided to write. And in those early years, they slept a lot, which meant I actually had a fair amount of time to devote to my craft after work and on weekends. While other new mothers may have chosen to spend their “free time” differently, writing was what my soul needed most.

As my children grew and my responsibilities expanded with my career and returning to school, I allowed my writing practice to grow with me. No, I was no longer writing during nap times—those ended long ago—but I found new moments: during my morning prayer and reflection time, on bus rides, before and after work, and sometimes just before bed. Writing, to me, became as essential as eating, breathing, and praying—an integral part of my daily life. I have lost count of the number of journals I have filled, as well as the number of books I have published or am in the process of publishing.

I share all of this to emphasize that I didn’t step away from my life to be a writer. I didn’t wait for things to slow down, for my circumstances to change, or for some big break in my schedule to devote time to my craft. Progress, for me, came through the habit of consistently dedicating time to do what I love most. Some days, I am able to write a lot—particularly when I’m facing an internal or external deadline, like when I was writing my dissertation. But most days, I dedicate 30 minutes to an hour to putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, allowing the spirit to speak through me.

You don’t need to put your life on hold to start your writing journey—or to pursue any creative endeavor your heart desires. Set aside at least 30 minutes a day to work on it. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish in three months, a year, five years, or even a lifetime by committing yourself to your practice in this way.

Question for reflection: Are you writing regularly? If so, what is working well for you? If not, what’s getting in the way?

And if you are looking to get into the regular habit of writing, taking it to another level, join Aya Collective Publishing’s 2025 Writing Challenge.