Do you use writing to make sense of the world--or yourself?
Or maybe to escape for a while?
If you’re one of those people who make sense of the world through writing--and who loves to connect with others through writing and writing communities, the question of how you keep going becomes something, well, essential.
Today’s blog post is a special one for me--and I think it will be for you. I interviewed Linda Alley and I think Linda’s answers will get us all reflecting on how we keep going. How we keep making sense of the world and ourselves through the act of putting a pen to paper.
This post is part of a series: What keeps you writing?
I’m asking the inspiring writers in our creative writing community to share what keeps you writing.
And maybe I’m asking all of us to ask ourselves that question too.
What keeps you writing?
I hope we’ll all start a conversation around the words of wisdom of people who I think know how to step out of time for a little bit and grab the essence of life as they write.
And maybe today, we’ve got an extra question to ask each other:
How do we keep writing “even when” challenges come our way?
“Even when”--I suppose I should say that we’ve all been around long enough to see that challenges are not the exceptions, but the stuff of life.
And so knowing how to keep up what matters to you and helps you feel inspired and whole while living, is our shared mission.
Today, I think Linda is going to help us start off a great conversation on this topic. I hope you’ll find inspiration here, that you’ll take some time to ponder this question later too.
And I hope you’ll join the conversation.
Do you make sense of life with writing?
Linda Alley is someone I love to write with.
Morning my time, evening where she is on the other side of the globe, both of us quiet and writing away on our latest creation. I love to hear the creative process that goes behind her stories, prose poems, or collections. Linda is someone who writes creatively—but also ‘just for herself.’
She’s also the writer and creator behind the website and blog: www.nofearinwriting.com. Through her blog, Linda helps others make sense of life through writing--especially on a theme that is close to my heart--and possibly yours: “Your new life abroad...” A topic many of us are making sense of--and will be for years to come.
So like you, like me, Linda is someone who knows the importance of writing for meaning, of creating sense about what we live—through our words.
Here’s what Linda had to say about what keeps her writing:
I love the freedom it offers. It can take so many forms and be as intimate or public as I choose. It gives me a space where I can be myself, explore different sides of myself or be someone else for a while. At the moment, my main forms of creative writing are journalling and some short pieces of poetry and prose.
I love the way it makes me feel - calm, challenged and adventurous - sometimes all at the same time.
Of course, when writing is important to you, when it’s something you love, you’ve got an additional challenge ahead of you when life is not...simple.
Writing through challenging times: taking breaks, and writing for yourself.
When I asked Linda about the challenges she faced in her writing and creativity this year, what she had to say struck me as relevant to all of us.
Because we’ve either been there…or will be. There will be times in our lives that force us to make sense of it all. Here’s what she said:
The biggest challenge to my writing and creativity this year has been grief and loss. While writing has been helping me heal, there have also been times when grief has blocked my creativity.
And since so many of us write to create meaning…but challenging times also can make it hard to write…
I thought that Linda’s words about what helped her keep going, keep writing and stay creative during challenging times could also be a source of inspiration--to all of us. First, and foremost because she was willing to give herself permission to do what was right for her.
What would the world look like if we all looked inward and decided on our next creative steps on our terms?
Here’s what worked for Linda:
Being kind to myself and taking a break. For me, it’s really helped by taking the pressure off and giving myself permission to write for my own eyes only. Writing for the process and the peace it brings me. Not feeling like I have to share my words unless I want to.
I invite you to think about what would work for you. Maybe something Linda has suggested rings true to you? Or maybe you can just take her example and give yourself permission to take breaks and then keep going in a way that makes sense to you.
Don’t be afraid to make shifts in your writing style...
There’s something else we can all learn from Linda. Notice what she has to say about how she has adapted the kind of writing so that it works for her, now.
I also changed the type of writing I was doing - more unstructured writing and shorter pieces.
As writers, I think the question is not IF we ever find ourselves living moments where it is hard to write…but when.
Can you think of what writing shorter, less structured pieces of writing would look like for you? What could this kind of writing bring you? In your ‘just for your’ writing or even in your writing to share?
And do you know who else is enjoying shifting to shorter and more unstructured pieces? Yours truly.
This is what is so magical about writing alongside each other, sharing the process, and having these conversations. We all get to learn from each other and create an experience together.
When we share our creativity, we come away changed, different, better prepared to keep going—or to just be ourselves.
What keeps you writing? And what’s next for you?
Are you someone who makes sense of the world (or yourself) through writing? Could you use a little permission for something--like
Taking a break so you can come back?
Being kind to yourself about your writing?
Writing something just for yourself?
Or giving yourself permission to write shorter, more intuitive pieces that are just as fun--and often surprising?
Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Want to join other writers from around the world—to write at your own pace…or maybe for a workshop?
We’ll be having a writing workshop on November 4th where you can practice relaxing and unstructured writing, for yourself first--and where you can play with writing short pieces of writing. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you get the invitation—and hear about all of our free workshops in the future.
And when you sign up for the newsletter, you’ll also get a short self-paced creative journaling course to get you writing as well. Enjoy!