What writing gives me….
Hello lovely people.
What writing gives me….
When I remember to make a gratitude list, which has well known health benefits, being a writer is always on it, up there with being grateful for good health and the precious people in my life and a great cup of black coffee every morning.
Having a love of writing is something I’m hugely grateful for as it gives me so much. It’s the way I earn my living, of course, and being able to pay the bills always makes me breathe easier. It’s not riches, but it can be enough. I’ve also met so many interesting people as I’ve helped them to tell their life story, and seeing a book come together is very satisfying. But the part about it that I celebrate the most is how when I sit down to write with one thought floating around in my mind, a cup of coffee at my side, the words seem to assemble themselves in a semi-orderly kind of way and tip out onto my laptop. And there’s a real joy in that simple act of private creativity.
Writing is billed as a lonely business, involving wrestling with writer’s block and dark nights of the soul. What isn’t much talked about is how light and energising it can feel. Writing can be fun for its own sake, like watching a child skipping down the street, just because she can.
Writing in its creative form feels like my mind dancing across the page, uncensored and authentic, and it gives me back a freedom and sense of joy in this controlled and constrictive and somewhat terrifying life we all currently lead, when we are supposed to pass milestones and do what’s expected of us and not worry about the prospect of World War III. When we are supposed to keep up and get on, and forge ahead, and get fit, and live to a hundred, and eat ten different vegetables a day, and not blink at our revolving carousel of ever-changing prime ministers. When life is lived so fast, in a state of high mania and pass-ag competition, how do we get off?
By writing. That’s how.
Writing brings joy, but it also brings calm, peace, and a heightened quality of persepective on what matters to us. It’s also inexpensive (pen and paper and a little time are the only things required). I can’t recommend it enough, and that’s why I’ve written a workbook helping others to turn on their writerly tap, in a bid to spread the love. Coming out in early September, it’s a straightforward guide to writing your life story, and why that might be a good idea. More soon.
Any questions in the meantime, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
Mary x