Why This Summer I’m Choosing to Stop Waiting for Permission
- Michelle Farley
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
June has always been a full-circle kind of month for me.
My birthday? June 15.My wedding anniversary? June 21—thirteen years.
And today, June 20, marks the official first day of summer.
A new season. A turning point. A reset button dressed in sunshine.
Thirteen years of marriage is symbolized by lace—a material known for its intricate beauty, and the kind of care it takes to last. And maybe that’s what makes this season feel so significant: I’ve learned that the same patience, creativity, and faith it takes to nurture a relationship… is what it takes to nurture a dream.
So today, on the edge of everything—another year older, deeper in love, and standing at the start of a new season—I’ve made a decision:
I’m done waiting for permission.
Done waiting for the “right time.”
Done hoping someone else sees the value in what I create.
Done asking for the greenlight when I’ve already got the engine running.
This is the summer I say yes—to the story, the screen, the soft reintroduction of myself as a novelist, a filmmaker, a woman walking fully in her purpose.
When I Had to Choose: Quit or Create
Earlier this year, I came across a creative opportunity that required two fictional short films and a director’s reel. I had one short and a documentary trailer. So I had a choice:
Not submit—or make something happen.
I chose the latter.
In less than two days, I created Blocked, a short film about writer’s block… while actively experiencing writer’s block.
Shot on my iPhone 15 Pro. One koala suit. A dodgeball borrowed from my son. No crew. No budget. Just me, heart, and hustle.
I didn’t get selected. And honestly? That rejection gave me something more valuable than a title or stipend.
It gave me proof.
That I can start from scratch.
That I can finish.
That I can pivot when it matters most.
🎬 Watch BLOCKED here: YouTube
The Book, the Film, and the Bigger Picture
This summer isn’t about burnout. It’s about building.
And I’m starting with Chosen—a short film I wrote that received early accolades and industry attention. I had hoped it might get picked up… but nothing moved.
So I made another choice:
Stop waiting for the greenlight. Create my own.
I’m shaking trees. Reimagining what I can do. If I can make a film in 36 hours with no money and no crew, then I can absolutely bring Chosen to the screen.
And while I’m doing that, I’m also writing something I never thought I would:
My first novel.
Introducing the Second Chances Series
I’ve always seen myself as a writer, a screenwriter even—but never a novelist. That felt like a different kind of storytelling, something longer, deeper, more layered.
But something shifted.
What began as a short story—shared with a few trusted readers—became the spark for something more. The first book in what I’m calling the Second Chances Series.
Book One will follow a woman who’s rebuilding her life and rediscovering who she is now, not just who she used to be. It’s a love story grounded in maturity, healing, and grown-folk grace.
Not trauma-filled.
Not villainizing.
Not bitter or broken.
Just soft, honest, everyday love.
The kind that’s earned.
It’s a rich, emotionally grounded novel you can sink into—and still finish in a weekend.
And if you're wondering what the book is really about...Let’s just say it has second chances, grown-folk chemistry, and a softness that still tells the truth. That’s all I’ll say—for now.
If you’d like to know the moment the book drops—it’s coming late October 2025—subscribe to the blog or send me a quick message. I’ll make sure you’re one of the first to know.
Until then, remember this:
You don’t need permission to begin.
You don’t need applause to be worthy.
And you definitely don’t need a greenlight to move forward.
Sometimes the only approval you need—is your own.
Say yes.
Start now.
Build anyway.
In Love,
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