009: 'By My Voice I Am Known': the transformative power of finishing what you start
I want to offer you an image of your future self.
You wake up with a profound sense of peace. The creative project that's been haunting your dreams for months, maybe years, is finally complete: not perfect, but finished, released into the world. You sip your coffee, soaking in the morning sunshine, and notice you feel much lighter. The energy that was trapped in that unfinished work is liberated and flows through you again, sparking new ideas and possibilities.
This isn't a fantasy. It’s what awaits you on the other side of completion.
In one of my (unpublished) novels the central character, Clair, drives to a coastal resort, parks up and spends her days living in her car. She’s waiting, but she’s not sure what she’s waiting for: to be rescued; to experience some kind of change; perhaps even to end her life. She drifts in and out of sleep in an out-of-time state that is saturated with memories of her past. She counts the days by knotting the fringes of her travel rug: ‘three taut knots, three days.’
So many of us keep ourselves permanently in hiatus, not knowing what we’re waiting for. We avoid our creative expression by meticulously ‘counting knots in the rug.’ We create elaborate rituals that acknowledge our existence without actually moving us forward.
We might begin projects with enthusiasm but abandon them when they no longer meet our impossible standards. We exist in a time that is dislocated in the ‘always present’—trapped in the cycle of preparation without progression.
The unfinished work becomes a weight, a presence that haunts us. It speaks to us of our perceived inadequacies, reinforcing the belief that we aren't capable of finishing what we start.
What happens when we finally complete something?
In my novel, Clair’s quest to rediscover her power ripples through the story. Her experience stands for the intention buried in all of us. ‘By my voice shall I be known’ she declares, in a statement that speaks to what happens when we finally allow our work to exist in the world. We’re no longer defined by what remains hidden, but by what we've courageously shared.
Completion transforms our creative output. More importantly, though, it transforms our identity. With each project we finish, we strengthen our self-concept as someone who completes things. The story we tell ourselves begins to change.
Imagine standing in your creative space, surveying not a burial ground of half-finished projects but a gallery of completed works. Each one represents a moment when you chose courage over perfection, progress over paralysis.
In this new life, you've established a rhythm of starting and finishing. You've learned to recognise the difference between the protective pause that honours your process (as I explored in this previous piece) and the perfectionism that prevents completion. You understand that your creative hesitation carries intelligence—not pathology.
You've discovered that completion isn't about perfection but about respecting the natural intelligence of your creative process. Like a plant that knows when to come into leaf, you've learned to trust your innate sense of timing.
In this new life, you experience the profound satisfaction that comes from following through. From honouring your ideas by bringing them to completion. From allowing your voice to be known.
The journey from abandoned projects to consistent completion doesn't require tremendous sacrifice—it just requires you to attune to your natural creative rhythm.
What’s next?
Begin by identifying what you need to finish your current project: the unique completion threshold, if you will; that precise edge where the pain of remaining incomplete now exceeds the fear of finishing. What first, tiny piece of that project is ready to be completed—even if the whole isn't yet ready for full visibility?
Break your project into segments with clear boundaries. Each completed segment represents another step towards who you want to become.
Rather than viewing deadlines as creativity killers, see them as the specific conditions under which your particular creative Essence naturally flourishes.
When you make space both for your need for safety and your drive toward expression, completion is not a forced outcome but a natural unfolding: the inevitable blossoming that occurs when the conditions are finally right.
Today, I invite you to choose one project that's been weighing on you. What's the smallest meaningful piece you could complete this week? Not progress on, but actually finish?
Complete that piece. Mark it as done. Feel the satisfaction that comes from crossing that threshold, however small.
Then come back tomorrow and do it again. And again.
This is how we transform our creative lives—one completion at a time; one incremental knot in the rug at a time. This is how we finally get to say: ‘by my voice, I am known.’
Love, Rachel
Creative inspiration
Finishing things is more than just about harnessing productivity. It’s about addressing the underlying mindset that stops you moving forward. Here’s a pick of some of the resources that have inspired me in the past.
Books on the topic
Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon which focuses specifically on sustaining creative momentum and seeing projects through to completion.
Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff. Acuff's humorous, accessible writing style makes potentially challenging concepts easy to digest while still providing advice you can action—like ‘strategic quitting’, how to address the impossible standards you set for yourself and tuning into enjoyment as a way to promote the ‘natural unfolding’ of your project.
Watch these short (2-3 minute) videos
‘The Gap by Ira Glass’ by Daniel Sax is a beautifully animated short video illustrating Ira Glass's famous quote about pushing through the gap between your taste (your deep knowledge about what you can create) and your current abilities:
‘Why Finishing is Hard (and How to Do It Anyway)’ with Ali Abdaal. This short clip provides a practical breakdown of the psychological barriers to completion and some tactical approaches to overcome them
Memorable quote of the week
Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.
—Andy Warhol, American visual artist and film director.
What’s next?
If there’s something you’re longing to create (a writing project, an artistic creation or new venture) but need more courage and guidance, I’m here to support you expand the power of your self-expression.
Here’s how I can help:
Make an appointment for a virtual coffee (free). I hold 3-4 slots every month so we can get to know each other. Perfect if you’re curious about meeting new people and making connections.
Book a 30-minute connection call (free). This is for anyone—whether you have an idea you want to brainstorm, an issue that’s holding you back, or you just want to know more about my work. Think of it as a microdose of powerful coaching that can help point you in the right direction!
Read my manifesto for creative courage (free). Learn about the core principles I work with in my own creativity and business and follow in serial form the journey of how I came to found Wordplay Coaching.
Inquiry of Writing, an intimate group coaching experience. We meet twice a month—in which we use writing as a tool for curiosity, exploration and transformation. Respond to powerful questions, in discussion and in writing; share your experience; get feedback on what you’ve written. Get the support and connection you need to gain clarity about your life and creativity, and develop your confidence. This is currently full but talk to me about joining the waiting list.
Creative Essence 1:1 coaching. Personal guidance to work with you on recognising your survival mechanisms and the fears that hold you back from expressing yourself fully. Twice-monthly deep dives on Zoom plus individualised support between sessions. This is ideal for you if you’re looking for deep transformation and powerful support to make changes in your life or with a creative project.
Thanks for these great tips for getting to the end of a creative project and overcoming procrastination!