We ask ourselves and each other this season what makes us feel grateful. We are told It is better to give than receive. So why then, do I hear so often a kind of grudging appreciation for or a disbelief in one’s own gift of writing? Is it because we need so little in order to do it? Is it because so many of us believe we are not really doing it at all? Or not doing it correctly? Or is it because so many writers tell us that writing should be painful and difficult?
I’m going to offer a kind of blessing or meditation, if you will, on accepting the gift that is writing.
Writing allows me to:
See inordinate humanity through characters
Open to the details that construct the universe
Enter times and places not physically possible
Let go of the static that clouds and drains the mind and spirit
Examine difficulties like turning a prism
Join a community of fellow writers
See and hear a true voice
Play with created beings who surprise
Grieve with birds and oceans and stones
Separate the inconsequential from the necessary
Fall in love with an ant
Rain fury on a bully, an invader, a scourge
Recognize the genius of unexpected phrases
Slow the onrush of fear or face it fully
Hold shadows up to the light
Drive everywhere and stay curled tight
Listen to animals speak, or silverware, or shoes
Call upon ancestors to say their truths
Remember everything even when there are gaps
Alter the atmosphere within
Change the fabric of stubborn beliefs
Calm the heartbeat and steady the sails
Offer fragility and honesty
Simply be
Come home. Always come home
What we create is of value for all these reasons and more. To write is to use the gift that allows us to be ourselves. Add to the list; create a new one; notice how your writing brings you to your truest self. This gift is yours to give and keep.
Publications
Maud & Addie “Sure to enchant, Maud & Addie is a touching novel complete with old skeletons, new friends, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.” Vivian Turnbull, Foreword Reviews. To purchase: https://regalhousepublishing.com/product/maud-and-addie/
blessed are the menial chores “Should anyone ask what poetry is, hand them a copy of this book.” Sue Brannan Walker, poet laureate of Alabama 2003 – 2012. Purchase here: https://www.writingfulltilt.com/author/
Upcoming Events
Weekly Writing Workshops
I offer a free-range writing experience based in respect, serious exploration and a sense of play. Each workshop includes a variety of voices and an opportunity to share a manuscript with the group. The ten-week sessions are $500 Contact: maureen@maureenbjones.com
Tuesday Mornings: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST November 29th – February 14th
Friday Mornings: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST December 2nd – February 17th
Prompt Photo
