Lately, I’ve been talking a whole heck of a lot about writing:
- I recently beta launched a new writing course called Unavoidable Writing, which distills 5 years’ worth of what I learned working with 300 writers from a dozen countries down to a holistic, formulaic approach to turning creative resistance into refuge.
- And just this week, I taught a workshop called Overcoming Writer’s Block (affiliate link) at CreativeLive in Seattle on how to thoughtfully outmaneuver writer’s block and find solace in your self-expression.
All my teachings of late have centered upon writing, which I hope is pretty great for you if you are a writer (or have an affinity for the self-expressive arts).
And yet, if you don’t personally think of yourself as “a writer” or “a creative,” you may wonder just how much all this has to do with you.
That’s a very valid question. So today, I want to give you a short but thoughtful answer (well, a list of answers) as to why writing may matter to you… even if you don’t consider yourself to be a “writer” or if you, frankly, doubt whether self-expression really holds any benefit for you.
Because, to me, writing both is and isn’t about writing, itself.
Here is a short and incomplete list of what writing has meant to me, and what I hope it can and will be for you.
This isn’t about writing:
Writing is a form of communication.
Writing is how records were first kept.
Writing is how we in the present day have learned about ancient civilizations, peoples, laws and cultures.
Writing is how I healed myself from depression.
Writing is language, itself.
Writing is the hand that wrote it.
Writing is evolution in action.
Writing is connection between souls, without a whisper of a word being spoken.
Writing is invitational, not coerced.
Writing is catharsis and release.
Writing is how I found my voice.
Writing is the emptying of otherwise unexpressed emotions, ideas, revelations, beliefs, curiosities, experiences, conceptualizations, whims, wishes, whimsies.
Writing is communion with the Self.
Writing is becoming a conduit of Spirit, Source, or the Infinite.
Writing is communing with the God of your choosing.
Writing is a personal vessel of witnessing life-experiences.
Writing is a medium for being seen.
Writing is healing.
Writing is leading by example.
Writing is leaving no story unexpressed.
Writing is shepherding ideas from the invisible realm into the tangible reality.
Writing is turning oneself into a conduit.
Writing is weaving a wide and inclusive tapestry.
Writing is fun and fulfilling, if occasionally frustrating.
Writing is slow, which, in a fast and noisy word, feels indulgent and meaningful.
Writing is more than readers, results, outcomes, skills, expertise, or proving anything.
Writing is about far more than words on a page.
Writing is ancient and modern; timely and timeless.
Writing is the power of choice, etched into every pen stroke.
Writing is elegant and daring; brash and beautiful; individual and collective.
Writing is your right to be heard.
Writing is caring for yourself, for others, for the world, and for life itself.
…this is some of what “writing” is to me.
Writing is much more than words on a page. It’s creating the reality that we wish to live in. It’s creating the world that we get to make and remake as you and I see fit, and good, and loving, and true.
Writing is just one vessel of cultivation — a unique one, and a lasting one, that I personal admire and have always thought to be enjoyable.
So no matter if you consider yourself to be a writer in title or by vocation, or have any creative aspirations, I hope you always feel welcome in my world and in my work. Because the truth is, this is and isn’t about writing.
It’s about everything else — the cosmos, the earth, and our place in between.
P.S. — What is writing to you? Since I don’t have comments on my blog, I recommend you subscribe to my newsletter to correspond with me at anytime. Hit reply to anything I send you, and let me know what writing means to you (plus any other feedback, takeaways, or stories you’d like to share). Thanks :)