Writing down the soul
Beginning with the pandemic, I felt the need to express hopeful thoughts through writing. It was provoked by a little rhyme a friend sent me.
“When the world turned its back on me, I was up against the wall – I had no foundation-no friends or family to catch my fall.
Running on empty, with nothing left in me but doubt- I picked up a pen and wrote my way out. Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Continuing our exploration on expression and the artist within, is the option of writing. Julia Cameron coined something called the writing pages, where each day you would sit down to write 3 pages of something. Although I have been inspired by her work, that wasn’t quite it for me. For me it’s a combination of journal writing, note taking, recording a thought and then writing it later, and of course book and blog. Its greatest gift has been in expressing what needed to be said, when there was no one to tell. Or something I was trying to heal by better understanding myself. Sometimes it was to share ideas or inspiring thoughts in the dark days of the pandemic.
Whatever the motivation might be, writing is an easy and powerful way to process, heal and grow. I say writing and not typing because there is a connection between the hand movement and the heart healing…typing does not produce the same motion. You may feel as though you do not have time; and at first I carried a small spiral notebook to capture a few moments, a thought or a feeling that was giving me trouble. Later I started journal time which wasn’t necessarily a clock eater – but the flow of the pen on the page helped me to know what I was feeling and provided a way for me to use my voice in total privacy.
Sharing the theme of my book (hopeful it comes out in April) was both a healing journey and a coming out party. Coming out with some life experiences that had challenged me for a long time and healing through the grief of this last year. Keeping things inside (warning suppression is not good for the soul) is never a good idea and sharing with someone who doesn’t understand isn’t always a good idea either.
But writing frees you – its an artful way to Let Go – and release everything that would hurt your heart. You don’t need an outcome…ie publishing or not…it brings up all those issues I mentioned about drawing…someone will criticize or say it isn’t any good. Soavoid the pitfall of an outcome and go for saying what you have to say – and allowing your story to be heard by the page and the pen. It is enough to provoke a deep sense of coming home. In our digital world, it has become passe to write letters, or share our stories by writing…unless you have formalized something like a writing group or class. I am recommending you write for you – to you- about you- and even read it to you- allow the written word artist to come forth and shine.
Enjoy!
