Yes, that’s right! I said “I HATED WRITING”!
My recollection of my writing experiences involve writing out repetitive sentences to practice penmanship – whew! – who remembers that term? OMG!
OR to write 500 words to turn in the next day in class….
OR, worst of all – writing out responses to essay questions on tests within a tight time limit for a very subjective opinion of everything BUT my writing style…..
AND – then there were the pleasurable moments of writing in my diary – only to be spoiled by a breach of confidentiality by someone who discovered it! The “who” shall remain nameless in order to keep peace in my family!
Isn’t it interesting how we carry these memories forward without determining if those memories should still have a hold on us?
I’m a life coach and business consultant who now writes as part of my career. And when I began to think about writing again, I certainly thought those memories still held as it related to my writing. I would ask myself these questions every time I wanted to start writing and would quickly abandon the idea:
Where is the joy in writing?
What happened to that little girl creativity?
Who will think my writing is good enough?
Who will care about what I have to say?
Have you ever felt that way?
How did I manage to stop that self-talk?
Well, I recognized the self-doubt, but made a decision to write anyway…….
When I decided to give writing a chance, it was also giving me a chance to redefine myself and my inner voice for a new audience – me!
You see, by writing for myself, I only had to please ME!
When we let go of our fears of being judged and of worrying about others’ opinions – we can then experience the freedom to let it flow.
This creative flow is freedom!
It’s like when you dance and you feel your body syncs with the rhythm…..
Or when you sing in the shower and think you sound like Beyonce’ or John Legend……
Or when you throw something together for dinner and it tastes like you won Top Chef!
I now write every day!
I know, I can’t believe it either!
I made a decision to write a little something every day. Some days it’s a little, some days it’s a lot – but I write every day.
I now write for me AND my clients – current, future, or just individuals who may need some perspective. I write from the heart and share experiences that may resonate with the reader. I want them to learn something, feel like part of a community instead of thinking they are alone, and I want to give them food for thought. For every issue out there, there are many approaches. Once we can read or hear a solution that worked for someone, we feel a little less helpless.
My perspective and experience is like no one else’s. I may not have anything new to say, but I reflect a unique point of view and I know there are others out there just like me.
I was coaching someone the other day who said she was stuck and couldn’t put anything on paper to help her in planning her business. I shared this strategy with her…..
I think of my writing as putting important things in a vault for safe-keeping. This vault contains some of my most prized possessions – my thoughts, my observations, my opinions, my feelings – all captured in my writing.
Sometimes, I don’t have enough time or my thoughts aren’t fully formed on any particular topic, but I write a little something anyway to capture that moment’s inspiration. I put it in the vault and can always revisit it later.
I may never fully develop one of those unfinished pieces of writing already in the vault, but they often give me new inspiration!
So, how can you overcome the very things that are holding you back?
1. RECOGNIZE that this time is different. You are no longer that person who used to hate writing. You are “you in the present moment” – with another chance at defining how you feel about it.
2. JUST START WRITING – FOR YOU! Anything. Anytime. Whenever the feeling comes over you. If it doesn’t, then set aside some time to write about your day or what you are feeling.
3. START TO NOTICE what you are writing about. It is there you will find what inspires you or what is on your mind and worth writing about.
4. EXPAND ON THE TOPICS THAT TURN YOU ON. You’ll start to see a pattern or themes in your free style writing that can inspire you to expand your writing on those topics.
5. READ YOUR WRITING FREELY AND WITHOUT CRITICISM. Remember who your audience is – you! If you remember you wrote with the idea of expressing yourself and to experience the joy of breaking down barriers….then it’s perfect!
6. DETERMINE IF YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR WORK. You can continue to keep your writing practice to yourself or decide if you want to share with others. If so, think about avenues for sharing and determine which is appropriate for you.
I have found a new avenue of expression in my writing and it has brought me great joy!
If you give yourself the chance to see what writing holds for you now – at this stage in your life – you may be surprised!