“Don’t write today from your experience of writing yesterday.”
– Laraine Herring, The Writing Warrior
When I stand in a bookstore and wonder whether or not a book belongs to me, I take a breath, open the book and let it tell me something. I love this moment of possible connection so much that to me it feels like a prayer.
Mark and I went to Glastonbury last week (if you’ve never been, come visit me and we’ll go together!) In The Speaking Tree, I absently ran my fingers over the spines of all of the gentle, spiritual supportive titles, not feeling a great pull to any of them until: “Me,” The Writing Warrior whispered. “I am who you are looking for.”
I pulled it off off the shelf, feeling a bit uncomfortable. The word warrior felt scary but energetic. Pause. Breathe. Open. Read.
“Don’t write today from your experience of writing yesterday.”
Reading that sent electric sparks through my body.
Everything I do seems to be tethered to the past. Nostalgia and history are my mode of operation in so many ways. I don’t write how I want to write because of reactions I have had in the past. I do things because they have always been done that way before. I haven’t followed the whisperings of my heart because they do not relate to anything I have seen someone else do.
I worry about committing to my path because of the way other people have walked theirs.
Honestly? I have been afraid of who I could become. What if you don’t like me anymore? What if what is in my heart clamouring to come out makes me so weird that there is no coming back to normal life? Writing about the sacred as I feel it is so much easier than letting the sacred out.
And who am I to write it anyway?
I am going to try to put all of that down and show up at the page.
“Don’t write today from your experience of writing yesterday.”
Deep breath. Pause. Write.
Here goes nothing.
xo
Mindful presence, ever the struggle. I find not being tethered to expectations of the future just as difficult as not living in the memories of the past. Thank you for the beautiful post and the photo of the leaves…
Thank you for choosing my book! I hope you find something of value in it on your writing journey. Not: here goes nothing. But instead, here is everything.
Blessings,
Laraine
Mmm. I love the perspective you took on this quote, the way you let it speak to your struggle and experience.
I can’t predict what will happen, of course, but my hunch is that whatever is wild inside of you that wants to come out will end up blessing the world in a way that is needed. My sense is that it’s your true self, which will not be lived any other way except through you.
xoxo,
Christianne
“Honestly? I have been afraid of who I could become. What if you don’t like me anymore? What if what is in my heart clamouring to come out makes me so weird that there is no coming back to normal life? ”
Every. Day. I feel like this. Every day I have been stepping farther and farther away from who I am. My husband asked me tonight, “When is the last time you wrote?”
‘I don’t even know’ was my answer.
Thank you for this post.
xoxo
I understand…it’s a scary step. Take it anyway…in fits and starts, with as many rest stops as you need. But keep going…
Oh, please do show up and write it. I’m feeling a similar dilemma. Maybe your bravery will elicit or support my own. This is how we help each other.
I can’t wait to see what comes of this. Bravo for opening more to yourself.
I cannot imagine not loving your writing, go for it Megg xxx