The Ritual of Writing
Creating a rhythm out of the chaos of life
Are you a writer who writes in the same place every day?
Do you use the same type of pen and have your desk set up just so?
Are you a devotee of blank notebooks that look too pretty to use?
As a full-time writer, I hoped my life would look a certain way. Cozy coffee shops, messy buns, and notebooks filled with inspiration and creativity.
Well, the messy bun part was accurate.
The Quintessential Writer
What kind of writer did you think you would be?
I’ve quickly realized that I would never be THAT writer. The one who sips on steaming coffee while tapping away at some profound piece of work.
Instead, I am the harrassed mom with unwashed hair and a perpetual look of panic in her eyes.
I have been writing for over ten years, but it has only been my source of income for two months, and I am quickly realizing how important routine and organization are.
Unfortunately, that kind of structure doesn’t work for my family or me.
Quick on the heels of that realization came sheer panic.
Have I made a huge mistake? Am I doomed to failure if I can’t devote hours every day to crafting eloquent and inspiring articles?
Making Writing a Religion
And that’s when it hit me.
I just needed to have a little faith. I needed to start treating my writing like a religion. Something that I made a conscious effort to do every day, knowing that I was going to get it wrong.
Writing needed to be a ritual, not a routine.
For this new career to work, I had to create a feeling of reverence around writing. It needed to be something that filled my soul on the good days but had simple steps I could follow on the bad days.
Writing had to become an integral part of my daily life.
Now, the image I have in my mind is one of peace and tranquility. As a mom of two wild boys, however, that is far from reality.
I grab solo writing time with two hands when I get it, and I do treat it like some kind of holy event. There is a hot beverage and a neatly laid-out desk, and definitely a messy bun. In these moments, I take a second to appreciate that I am a writer.
Like an actual, make-money-from-my-words writer.
But most of the time, it’s just me in sweatpants sitting on the grass with a laptop while my kids play. Or trying to get some work done in my office under a barrage of questions and the odd raptor-like roar from outside.
Writing is Consistent Action (and Stolen Moments)
Maybe you wake up early and write every morning. Or maybe you have a favorite coffee shop where you do your best work. Perhaps it’s as simple as having a jar of pens at the ready?
Everyone’s writing rituals look different.
I have learned that success for me looks like writing every day in the moments I can. I have become a master at crafting outlines and articles in between baking, dino chases, and fort-building.
Writing is having faith that I can meet deadlines while being there for my kids.
Maybe one day, I will be that woman in the coffee shop.
But you can bet she is snacking on chicken nuggets and slurping down iced coffee because — you know — mom life.
Key Message: Writing is personal, so stop comparing your journey to everyone else. There is no right or wrong way to be a writer. You just need to WRITE.
