Creating Your Self after 40
Finding Your Creative Self
Welcome to our series, “Creating Yourself after 40.” We are providing several blogs that discuss how we must continue to create ourselves to remain viable for the next several decades. From physical to financial, psychology to skill sets; we will look at the process to achieve our goals. We appreciate and value your readership! Thanks for following along.
I just write. I think I am a novice writer. But at 47 years old I could say I have been writing for 4 decades. That’s a long time to be writing.
I just learn. I think I am a new learner. But at 47 years of age I could say I have been learning for OVER 4 decades. That’s a long time to be learning.
I must write and learn everyday. That is what I must do. I have to show up everyday ready to work. Ready to write. Ready to accept the creative muse. Ready to learn something new.
Some say they have no inspiration today. No muse today. I believe the muse is always here; it is a matter of listening and paying attention. You have to show up and be ready for what comes from the muse. You have to be ready to hug the muse.
Sometimes I prepare to write with an idea in mind and it takes off. Sometimes I struggle with it until something entirely different ends up on the page. Then there are times that I simply sit down at a blank page and write. Typically this happens shortly after I have read something inspiring. This article is one of those moments. But regardless of how I got the words on the page two things had to happen. First, I had to show up and second I had to listen to my muse.
I recently read Jeff Goins’, The Writers Manifesto. If you are a writer, painter, song writer, musician, or any type of creative you should read this. I don’t intend this to be a review article of his work but it was inspirational to me and I want to share it. It is a quick 44 pages. The formatting is what makes it a quick read. The formatting is also part of its genius. I know genius is a big word to throw around but you will agree with me after you read the work.
Reading his eBook was like a hot bowl of home-made soup on a wet, cold and windy day. It offered a feeling of comfort, warmth and a moment of ‘understanding.’ The point of it — is simply to write. Not for the applause and accolades, but because it is what you want to do. It is what you need to do. You need to hug your muse and be creative. You need to give yourself to your creativity. This is what will excite an audience. This is what will resonate with an audience.
Consider the incredible amount of writing sites and blog sites that can be consumed on the internet. Most of it worthless. Most of it sales pitches to ‘get rich quick’ or ‘how to’ build something better and faster than the competition. Now consider the hundreds of thousands of us that see through the muck and mire and want something to inspire us. To speak to us. If you are honest with your muse and come to the page ready to work for the sake of the writing you will engage your audience at an emotional level. They will respond to your writing.
I consider myself new to writing and to blogging so I don’t have an audience to applaud me or their accolades heaped upon my work. Perhaps, I am the lucky writer as I have no one out there to ‘let down.’ When the day comes that my work is read by an audience; I will remember Jeff Goins’ words and write for the sake of my muse.
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