Push past your limits,

shrug them off,

and keep going.

This past weekend,

I climbed Scafell Pike,

England's tallest mountain,

and the entire escapade was gruelling,

more so than anyone on our team could've imagined.

The experience reinforced an idea,

that we must push past our limits,

and then some,

once

in a while.

Otherwise,

we become comfortable,

and our growth becomes stagnant.

At several occassions on my climb,

I felt defeated and beaten,

yet I still continued one step at a time,

up jagged stretches of rock and loose scree,

scrambling up faces adjacent to waterfalls.

The hike will sink in in the coming days as I recover,

and the fruits of that strenuous labour will be reaped

in a more deep-seated fashion,

compared to the buzz and fatigue that is slowly wearing off,

at the moment.

I am a novice hiker,

this being my second proper outing,

and if I can do that, then you can do almost anything.

When you undergo challenges in the real world,

not only does your threshold for adventure increase,

but the resultant confidence and self-esteem

carries into multiple facets of your life,

especially your creative side,

where unique insights can arise.

And if you have a particularly difficult time,

expressing it through art can soothe the mind,

be it via a story or an art piece or anything.

So, Reader push past any doubts,

explore,

and reflect.

Creative Update

This past week,

I've been working on some tutor-related work and employment,

and this time of year is perfect for helping new students.

As such,

I haven't continued with many creative projects directly

for a number of days.

However,

I am appearing at a poetry reading on Wednesday 3rd September from 2pm-4:45pm at Ward End Library in Birmingham,

so stay tuned and show up for a free, unticketed afternoon of Urdu and English poetry--all are welcome!

Upcoming Opportunties

Scott Editorial Free Book Marketing and Publishing Advice

Editorial company Scott Editorial are offering free 1-hour calls for writers regarding all aspects of publishing advice and book marketing.

Underbelly Press Submissions

For Issue 8 we’re exploring fear in all its forms. Show us existential dread, childhood terrors, the horrors of being human. As before, we’re pairing the theme with our inherent focus: the gritty, the mundane, the uncomfortable, the human. Fear is universal, but the way we live with it is personal. So tell us, what do you fear?

Accepting poetry, short fiction, art.

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 25TH

Catch Me Next

All the best,

Bilal Psyche Akram