This idea will help you write more (and better)

One of the best projects in my creative life was the “Soulful Journal.” It is a month long journaling practice, where you dig through your past, present and (imaginary) future, prompted to follow the calling of your soul.

“Soulful Journal” was one of the first creative endeavors I tackled after years of creative inactivity. After being hyper-active, distracted, unhappy, over-worked, running from one party to another, after I lost my job, in one of the worst periods of my life, I started the “Soulful Journal.”

After the first exercise, I became obsessed. I could hear my inner voice whispering: “Thank you. Finally.” I completed the entire course without skipping a day. I often wrote more than required, and I completed all the extra exercises, too. A+ for me!

However, the process was painful at times. I wrote a lot and I cried a lot. I faced the old fears, buried under layers of my busyness. I looked into the tons of painful memories. I lied on the floor helplessly many times, reminding myself to get up and go back to the computer to finish a sentence.

Did it ever occur to me to stop? Hell no. I was on a mission. I knew I had to write and complete the entire course. I had to close the loop. I knew it was the only way for me to be healed.

And it worked. I felt free and relieved. I forgave everyone. (Myself included.) I stopped recalling the memories from my past with resentment. But most importantly, since the completion of “Soulful Journal” I never stopped writing and creating. And I hope I never will.

Now, would I share with you some of these painful memories now when I feel so much better? Absolutely not. You don’t need to know that.

Let me ask you two great questions:

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO WRITE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO PUBLISH?

These are two different things.

In the first episode of Elizabeth Gilbert’s podcast, the guest said that she was struggling to write her book. She wanted the book to be deeply personal and was afraid that it might offend some of her family members.

Liz Gilbert (I love that woman) said: “There is the book you have to write. And then, there is the book you will publish. And these two books can be completely different.” Bang, bang!

How brilliant is that?

Writing practice is fulfilling and healing. Write a lot. Write about everything you want. Even about things you hate or are afraid of. (Especially about the things you hate or are afraid of.) Dig through your past, digest everything that happened, forgive everyone.

You’ll often hear writing gurus saying things like: “Bleed on the page.” I agree. Bleed, spit, puke, explode, spill your guts. Include all the juicy details. Cry as I did. It’s helpful. (But please, keep in mind that you absolutely can keep all that mess for yourself.)

Realization that you don’t have to (and, in fact, shouldn’t) publish everything you write, will make you relieved. You will write more. You will improve your writing. You will have a larger body of work to choose from. You will publish what’s good and what’s worth reading about. Even if you never publish a single piece of your writing, you will become a better person because you worked through your sh*t. And the world needs people who worked through their sh*t.

Publishing is another thing. Please, think twice before you publish. Be vulnerable, but remember that vulnerability is not the same as oversharing. Brene Brown said that oversharing often results in disconnection, distrust and disengagement. There are ways to tell the truth and be transparent, without oversharing or offending anyone.

Bottom line: Heal your self. Write anything you want. Respect yourself. Publish chosen parts. ((Tweet this!))

XXX

Miss Strangelove

Cookie of Wisdom 1: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story within you.” Maya Angelou ((Tweet this!))

Cookie of wisdom 2: “After a while you learn that privacy is something you can sell, but you can’t buy back.” Bob Dylan ((Tweet this!))