Emotional Healing Journey Through Creative Expression

Day 6 of my emotional healing journey… and choosing not to quit on myself

At 36, I decided to stop waiting and start doing.
This is Day 6 of choosing ME 🎸💚

There are stories we tell the world… and then there are the untold chapters. This is one of mine

🍝 And before I even get into everything… let me just say this Avery is making his famous parmesan vegetable pasta for dinner today, and y’all… I already know it’s about to be SO good. Sometimes it’s the little things like a home-cooked meal that just brings comfort after a long, emotional day.

🎯 And let me add this too this isn’t just about guitar. I am currently on a 30-day creative challenge from April 7th to May 7th. This challenge is all about doing something I always wanted to do as a kid… but never got the chance to. And my very first challenge? Learning how to play the guitar.

✨ Look at my picture, y’all… your girl really dressed up when I first got the guitar because I felt so good about it. I had to step into the moment! I put together my little rock outfit and everything. That right there was the confidence before the struggle even started and I love that for me.

Good afternoon, my fellow readers.

Today marks day 6 of my emotional healing journey through learning the guitar, and if I’m being real with you… it hasn’t been easy. Yesterday, I didn’t even write. I was too frustrated, too mad at myself, and honestly… a little defeated.

But today? I’m showing up anyway.

🎨 Emotional Healing Journey: My 30-Day Creative Challenge

This right here is bigger than just music.

From April 7th to May 7th, I made a promise to myself:

👉 Do something creative
👉 Do something I always wanted to do as a kid
👉 Stop scrolling… and start creating

Because let’s be real…

We spend so much time on our phones, watching other people live, create, and grow… but what about us?

So I said, “Enough is enough.”

Now here I am… at 36 years old… picking up a guitar and learning how to play it.

No shame in my game.

This is the start.

And every 30 days after May 7th?

✨ A new challenge
✨ A new creative outlet

It could be:

Working out
Gardening
Painting
Sewing
Starting a YouTube channel
Going to the zoo and taking pictures
Creating something from nothing

Whatever it is…

👉 Just be creative
👉 Just start

🎸 Emotional Healing Journey Through Guitar: When Learning Feels Like Failure

I thought by now I would be a little further along.

Not perfect… but better.

But instead, I found myself comparing my beginning to someone else’s experience my husband, Avery. He can play. He understands music in a way I’m still trying to figure out. And in my head, I kept saying, “Why can’t I just get it like that?”

That right there… that mindset?

That’s what was breaking me.

Because this emotional healing journey isn’t just about learning guitar—it’s about unlearning pressure, comparison, and self-doubt.

💔 Storytime: Day 1 to Day 6 of My Emotional Healing Journey

Let me take y’all back for a second…

Day 1

I was excited, I picked up the guitar and just started playing notes. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I felt something.

Day 2

Everything felt off. The notes didn’t sound right. My mind wasn’t focused.

Day 3

I broke down.
Yes… I cried,

watched so many YouTube videos trying to understand:

What is “open”?
What is “closed”?
Why are there numbers AND letters?

I was overwhelmed.

Day 4

I told myself, “Start from the beginning.”

So I did.

I started learning music notes. Writing them down. Teaching myself how to read music. Slowing it all the way down.

Day 5

I practiced for 2 hours.

I was reading music AND trying to play but I was still struggling.

Day 6 (Today)

Y’all… I was on the verge of crying again.

I told Avery, “This is making me so mad. I’m about to quit and take a whole week off.”

And in that moment… I meant it.

🙏 Faith in the Process: The Breakthrough I Almost Missed

Before I walked away, Avery said something simple:

“Try this first.”

And that’s when I realized…

I wasn’t pressing the strings down enough.

I thought I was but I wasn’t doing it with enough pressure to get the right sound.

And just like that…

🎶 The sound changed.

The frustration? It turned into understanding.

The tears? They turned into growth.

That moment reminded me of something deeper:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you…” – Jeremiah 29:11

Sometimes we think we’re failing…
But really, we’re just learning how to press through properly.

🌱 Growth Outside the Guitar: Life Is Still Moving

Even through the frustration, life is still happening.

Today:

I took Blueberry for a walk 🐾
Went on a bike ride with my kids 🚴🏾‍♀️
Felt that strong Michigan wind hitting me like, “You still out here?” 😅
Got a quick workout in 💪🏾

And y’all… my garden?

It’s growing beautifully.

I have over 38 fruits and vegetables growing:

Lettuce
Peppers
Strawberries
Watermelon
Onions
Kale
Peas

And that right there reminded me…

🌱 Growth takes time. Whether it’s a plant… or a person.

💬 Motivation for Your Emotional Healing Journey

Here’s what I’m learning:

You don’t have to be perfect…
You just have to be consistent.

“Success doesn’t come from not falling… it comes from getting back up every single time.”

I’m practicing every day:

40 minutes
1 hour
Sometimes 2 hours

And guess what?

It’s getting easier.

Not perfect… but easier.

❓ Question for You

What is something you’ve always wanted to do as a kid… but never gave yourself the chance to try?

💡 My Goal (Hold Me Accountable!)

My first song I want to play is:

🎶 “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson

And I’m giving myself one month to learn it.

Let’s see what happens 👀

✨ A Moment of Reflection

God, thank You for reminding me that it’s never too late to start.

Thank You for the child inside of me that still wants to create, explore, and grow.
Thank You for giving me the courage to try something new—even when it feels uncomfortable.

Help me stay consistent in this journey.
Help me to trust the process and not give up on myself.

And remind me daily that I am capable… even when I feel like I’m not.

Amen.

My story isn’t perfect, but it’s real and I’m still standing, still growing, and still becoming.

🌿 One Last Thought Before You Go

Life is full of chapters we don’t always understand while we’re living them. But I’m learning that sometimes the most powerful stories come from the moments we thought would break us.

And if there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s this: every season of life has a lesson waiting inside of it.

So here’s something I want you to think about today:
What is one moment in your life that changed the way you see yourself?

I would love to hear your story in the comments. Your experience might be the encouragement someone else needs today.

And if this message spoke to you, make sure you come back tomorrow… because I’ll be sharing another chapter of “The Untold Truth.”

Until next time,

🔗 Stay Connected

🌐 Visit My Blog:
https://theuntoldchapter.blog/

📩 Subscribe:
https://theuntoldchapter.blog/newsletter/

💼 Follow My Journey:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-stearns-58aa9a249/

💚 If you feel led to support my writing and my journey, you can donate here:
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The Untold Chapter

Still Learning the Strings: My Emotional Healing Journey Through Guitar

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