Understanding Through Writing

“We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.” -C. S. Lewis

I like to read and understand new things, but it doesn’t end there. I agree with Lewis; writing brings my understanding to a much deeper level. I just don’t think it ends there.

There’s always layers to this thing called life; reading and writing just unravel it all. But part of the writing process is giving and receiving feedback so that you can take your understanding to new levels. A lot of being a writer is putting words on a page, but we can’t forget the most important part of the process: our readers.

How do you connect with your readers?

Go Big for Your Joy

Learn to be happy where you are.

Learn to kiss the kids and clean the house how you want to because I promise you that those things are going to pay off. Let it go. Take this summer to let go of the things that keep you from living your best life. I really want you to go hard this summer. Concerts, fairs, beach days, and summer reading lists. I want you to relish in it all. Don’t forget the soft-serve ice cream cones with sprinkles on those hot days.

This is your life. I want you to live this summer like you never lived before. Do you know how to do that? You do that by letting go. Let go of the what ifs, the comparisons, the fears that shrink you into too small. If you know in your heart of hearts that something will bring you joy, I want you to do it.

For you, I know this is going to be challenging because you have gotten where you are by shrinking, by listening and obeying the voices that don’t think you’re capable of living the life of your dreams. Do you know why they think you can’t live the life of your dreams? It’s because they shrank and they shrank and they shrank, and now they think you must shrink too. But you must be bigger than that. You must be stronger than that. Here’s what’s important to know, they aren’t any happier keeping you small. So go big. Go big for your values. Go big for your dreams and this summer I want you to go especially big for your joy.

And please share every single joyful moment so we can find our joy too.

Cheat Codes for Writing

“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I’m afraid of.” —Joss Whedon

I spent all day carving away at my novel. It feels weird where I am. It’s so familiar, but it’s all so different. Same writer. Same novel. And yet it feels like I’m living in a completely new world compared to when I started. I’m more consistent, more experienced, and in some ways more confident than the girl who dove headfirst into writing over a decade ago. Even on bad days, I write. I mean, you may find me with chicken wings and fries next to my computer (kidding, I don’t know how that would even work), but this writer is still writing regardless of her mood.

The big secret to all this is that sometimes you just gotta do the work. Don’t fight it, that just sends you down the spiral and that’s no fun at all.

Here’s a few cheat codes for writing:

  • Journaling
  • Take note of your thoughts, conversations, and internal dialogue
  • Stay present
  • And I’m a big believer in writing something everyday. (It changed me)

What cheat codes did I leave out?

The Poetry Process

“Poetry is the one place where people can speak their original human mind. It is the outlet for people to say in public what is known in private.” -Allen Ginsberg

I find that poetry comes to me in a rebellious way. If I force it out of me, it’s not as good, but if I wait until it comes to me and I take my time letting it unfold, it becomes less like words and more like a beacon.

I haven’t written any poetry in quite some time, but I enjoy it and I do kinda miss it.

How bout you, do you chase down your poetry or do you let it come to you?

Comfort in Your Writing Space

I have had writing spaces all over my house. At first, I had this huge space down in the basement. I didn’t really do too well with my allergies. Then I had a smaller but still a decent-sized space in the basement, but this time it was in a partially finished room. It still bothered me to be down there, though. Then, for a very short time, I had a space in my daughter’s closet. She was much younger and at an age where I put her to sleep every night. The thing is, none of those spaces really stuck with me. Now, I just kind of write where I feel comfortable. Sometimes I want sunshine. Sometimes I want to write in the dark, and sometimes I want a public space with people and the scent of coffee.

What I’ve learned over the years is that the trick is to be comfortable enough to not be distracted by the physical world. Writing is internal. While the external world may bring you inspiration, it must be digested internally. Having a place where you can really think through complex thoughts is a place where you can produce something of substance. And that’s what works for me.

How about you? What’s important to you about your writing space?

And Here We Are

II.
You see we’re tired, my heart and I.
We dealt with books, we trusted men,
And in our own blood drenched the pen,
As if such colours could not fly.
We walked too straight for fortune’s end,
We loved too true to keep a friend ;
At last we’re tired, my heart and I.

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning from “My Heart and I”

I learned about Elizabeth Barrett Browning because I have been listening to a podcast called “Bad Ass Women of History” (and let me tell you, it’s hitting all the right notes). It’s artistic. The balance between the speakers is fantastic, in my opinion. One is brash and straight to the point, while the other is thoughtful and walks us intentionally to the point. Both are educated in the art history field, raw, honest, and interesting. Once I watched Serpent Queen on Starz, I had to learn more about women throughout history. That’s what attracted me to this podcast, and I’m loving it. Learning about all these bad ass women over the past few weeks balanced out my femininity journey because one thing I learned is that sometimes the situation calls for you to wear the pants. (I just laughed out loud at that). Anyway, what I’m saying is as women, we need both femininity and masculinity. We get to choose how we wield it.

My Happy Pill

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” -Audrey Hepburn

I used to scoff at quotes like this. Now I let the enjoyment come to me as much as it wants to. I welcome joy and ease. The struggle comes on its own too. Like joy, I don’t need to chase it or hide from it. Whatever happens, I do my best to write my way through it all. Writing is my happy pill.

Summer Incoming

In honor of summer, I wanted to share this piece by Amy Lowell from the Poetry Foundation. I love a good bath and I love even more summer flowing in through the windows.

Bath By Amy Lowell

The day is fresh-washed and fair, and there is a smell of tulips and narcissus in the air.
       The sunshine pours in at the bath-room window and bores through the water in the bath-tub in lathes and planes of greenish-white. It cleaves the water into flaws like a jewel, and cracks it to bright light.
       Little spots of sunshine lie on the surface of the water and dance, dance, and their reflections wobble deliciously over the ceiling; a stir of my finger sets them whirring, reeling. I move a foot and the planes of light in the water jar. I lie back and laugh, and let the green-white water, the sun-flawed beryl water, flow over me. The day is almost too bright to bear, the green water covers me from the too bright day. I will lie here awhile and play with the water and the sun spots. The sky is blue and high. A crow flaps by the window, and there is a whiff of tulips and narcissus in the air.

Copyright Credit: Amy Lowell, “Bath” from The Complete Poetical Works of Amy Lowell. Copyright © 1955 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Copyright © renewed 1983 by Houghton Mifflin Company, Brinton P. Roberts, and G. D’Andelot, Esquire. Reprinted with the permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Source: Selected Poems of Amy Lowell (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002)