As writers, we are among the fortunate few
who are actually doing something we love. Yes there are struggles, both
financial and personal. But we have the ability and talent to shape words into
tangible expressions that can inspire, educate, and entertain. There is a real
fulfillment and joy in that.
As much as we love the craft, part of our
calling as writers should be to stretch ourselves beyond the calling to write.
You can be a good writer by tapping into the passion of being a
writer.
You can be an exquisite writer by tapping into the
passion of being yourself.
Writing may define part of you, but it
shouldn’t define all of you. You are a complex, multidimensional, ever-evolving
individual. You owe it to yourself, to your craft, and to your readers to
explore all of the nooks and crannies of who you are.
Let me present this scenario as an
example. My daughter is a ballet dancer, and I have been around student and
professional dancers for many years. An extremely talented student dancer is
enchanting to watch. She is technically proficient and stunningly fluid and graceful.
An experienced professional dancer is
rapturous and heart-wrenching to watch. Technical abilities and gracefulness
are second nature. What shines through so poignantly is her soul.
You see her life experiences, joys,
wounds, loves, and values, all played out before you. You see these emotions in
the movements of her body, the myriad of expressions on her face, the
subtleties of timing, and her invisible connection with the audience. It is
pristine, exquisite, and breathtaking.
Dancers and actors spend a lot of time
exploring themselves to perfect their crafts. It is one thing to be a proficient dancer
or actor. It is quite another to be an inspired and passionate artist.
You must explore what is inside of you, draw it forth, and infuse it into
your role.
An inspired and passionate writer must do
the same, for writing is an art as well.
Most of us are so busy with the business of writing that we have
little time for rummaging around in our own lives to see what’s what.
However, if you don’t
make the space and time to do this valuable work, you are tethering your
writing to “just good enough.” You are walking past an untapped goldmine of
inspiration that will buff the bright shine of authenticity, humanness, and raw
emotion on your work.
So how does one go about poking around
inside to find this passion? It takes a little time and work. It takes stepping
away from busyness to look within. The deeper you dig, the greater the reward.
In fact, the payoff can be tremendous. Along the way, you might learn things
about yourself that will open amazing new doors of possibility and discovery
for your work and your life.
From my own experience, I see this
discovery work as a very strategic process. It is not always linear, but by
following specific steps, you will leave no stone unturned to evolve into the
passionate writer you were meant to be. Here are five key steps to finding
your passion.
Know Thyself.
§ Understand what makes you tick, what motivates
you, where you get your energy, and how you perceive the world. Understanding
this about yourself helps you connect with your readers and your characters.
§ Learn more about your personality and why you
behave and operate in the world the way you do. How you view the world is
reflected in your writing, so pursue awareness around this and use the
knowledge to direct your writing decisions.
§ Use this clarity about yourself to help you
focus on what is natural and right for who you really are — not who you wish you
were or who others want you to be. Your uniqueness should shine through in your
writing.
§ Begin this process by taking one or two
personality assessments, like the Myers Briggs test. These assessments give you
a framework for the process of self-discovery and exploration. They can open
your eyes to parts of yourself you haven’t acknowledged before.
Define Your Qualities.
§ You might have a general idea of your skills,
values, and interests, but have you really dug deep to determine which of those
are imperative in your life? Are you allowing your writing work to overwhelm
other places to explore? These places could ultimately help your writing.
§ Determine the values that define you, the
skills that you enjoy (not just those that you are good at), and the interests
that are fulfilling and fun, so you to be creative, expansive, and focused in
your writing and in life.
§ Commit to finding ways to use these newly
defined values, interests, and skills. Explore new options in life so that you
can exploit them in your writing. Jodi Picoult is an author who
routinely scrutinizes and employs her values and interests in her novels, and
she is quite prolific.
Create A Vision.
§ Once you’ve gotten to know yourself better and
defined what is important to you, begin to create a vision for your life and
for your writing.
§ By outlining a rough vision based of your
personality, values, skills, and interests, you will begin to refine a purpose
and mission for your writing and your life. Any passionate endeavor, bolstered
by purpose, will have substance and longevity.
§ As you explore the many possible details of
this vision, your purpose and mission will become more and more clear to you.
It will give you a road map for your writing and what you want to achieve. Use
this road map to give direction and meaning to your writing plans.
§ Refer to this vision frequently as you write.
Draw from it as from a deep well of inspiration for your work. Allow yourself
to absorb the feelings your vision evokes so that authenticity shines
through in your writing.
Remove the Roadblocks.
§ As you define the elements of your vision and
mission, you may encounter emotional roadblocks preventing you from taking the
actions you needed to make your vision real.
§ If you don’t address them, limiting beliefs,
life imbalances, unresolved issues, and emotional reactions can prevent you
from discovering more about yourself and your passions.
§ As you uncover your own roadblocks and work
through them, you will uncover more gems of inspiration for your writing. Many
people use writing as a way of resolving these issues. When you are
vulnerable in your writing, you are revealing your authentic self. Your readers
will resonate with that. Elizabeth Gilbert’s best selling book, Eat,
Pray, Love, is a perfect example of this level of vulnerability.
Shift Your Mind.
§ As you learn about yourself, you will begin
having profound “ah ha” moments. Previous ways of thinking will be challenged.
Things that you once accepted will no longer be acceptable.
§ You will want to address unmet needs and
remove tolerations from your life that have been sapping your energy and
attention. This will open your mind and your time for writing and for other
passions you have discovered.
§ Your perspective on what is good and right for
you will open up. You sabotage your creativity when you do things you don’t
want to do because you feel you “should.” Laser focus on what you want for your
life to create the wide open spaces needed for your best writing.
Create Your Plan.
§ The final part of the process of discovering
yourself and your passion is creating an action plan based on all you have
learned. You may find there are many passions and options for your life in
addition to writing.
§ Remember, you may have to do this work several
times over the course of your writing career as you continue to evolve as a
person.
§ Use everything you have learned about yourself
to infuse your writing with dimension, substance, and presence. Armed with new
self-awareness and growth, you will find passion in your writing and in your
life beyond your wildest expectations.
If you would like to
take your own journey of self-exploration to discover your passions in life and
infuse your writing with power, I invite you to check out Discover Your Passion: A Step-By-Step Course for Creating the Life of
Your Dreams.
by Barrie Davenport ~Barrie Davenport is a personal and career
coach and is the founder of Live Bold and Bloom, a blog about personal growth for fearless
living. She also is the editor for The Daily Brainstorm, a blogazine to rock
your mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment