Sometimes you set out to change your writing…and end up rewriting your life.
I wonder if you’ve ever had this experience:
You think you want one thing from your writing, maybe you have a goal (like a better blog, a finished book or just to be more confident in your writing).
But then writing holds out her hand and gifts you with something you'd never counted on:
Yourself.
And suddenly, your relationship with writing has changed. Suddenly she’s a friend you can’t live without, a refuge, a calm place in the storm.
What if the best way to reach your writing goals was to forget them?
When you forget your goals and indulge in a little creative play, when you enjoy writing, when you get lost in the creative process…
You make writing a habit,
You make writing fun and meaningful,
You return to it willingly…day after day,
You may change your creativity…and your life,
Yes, your writing will change too. But it’s only one of the happy side-effects of taking on a creative endeavor.
Maybe you’re thinking this sounds like the scenic route to becoming a better writer. And you’re partially right: you’ll slow down and enjoy yourself much more.
Capture your moments, create meaning, connect with others.
Here’s a short creative journaling challenge I created just for you—the busy writer, reader, adventurer of the written word.
It’s not only short, sweet and self-paced. It’s a chance to use your writing to slow down in a fast world. To capture the moments of your life, to draw inspiration from your reading…
And yes, to improve your writing (although, like I said, that’s just a happy side-effect).
If you only take one thing from your visit here today, take this…
It’s something I’ve learned through years of my own writing, teaching—and especially, watching other writers grow:
Taking those creative ‘detours,’ connecting to your own story, learning from your life, forging meaning from what you’ve lived is not the ‘slow path.’
It’s the only path.