Inspired Writing

Writers write because they have something to say. Any other type of writing is usually uninspiring. There’s a profound reason for this.

Writing is an intimate process—a form of self-discovery that can be beautiful, divine and wonderfully rewarding. However, at the same time, writing can be unbearably painful. In fact, “fun writing” may be an oxymoron.

The more fluid and natural your writing becomes, the more apparent it is that your writing is not your own. Writing in a state of flow you begin to realize that your writing is not coming from you, but rather through you.

Let’s call this type of writing “inspired writing”—defined by words that come from the heart, not from the head: creative writing, love letter writing and automatic writing. Journalistic writing and business writing, generally speaking, would not fall under this heading.

To better understand inspired writing, imagine an extension cord stemming from your heart and plugging into your journal on the other end. An endless stream of energy now flows from your heart to your writing instrument … what happens next is only partially up to you.

For inspired writing to occur, you must momentarily transcend your ego. The ego is responsible for your desire to be right and your beliefs about how things “should be.” Creating rules and boundaries that inhibit the creative process, the ego often convinces us that we’re bad writers in order to avoid the daunting pain of rejection. If you allow yourself momentarily to let go and detach from the ego something magical can occur. Your body may begin to vibrate slightly and your thoughts may become crystal clear. You may be in awe of the words that flow from you. Or you may just need to be patient and allow yourself to sit in front of your journal and breathe, gazing calmly at a blank page. Some days this can actually be very therapeutic.

Inspired writing is an act of courage. Even if you never share your words with another soul, for most, exposing our inner world to ourselves can be just as frightening.

Unless writing is part of your profession, conduct your writing Journey with a journal. Computers make editing and refining your writing much easier, but can also create a mechanistic environment that leads to linear, non-creative thinking. A beautiful leather bound journal adds a hint of a simpler time and connects you with the great spirits of the past. Can’t you imagine legendary authors like Hemingway, Thoreau, and Blake capturing their inner-most thoughts in a hardbound, moleskin journal sitting in solitude beneath a towering oak tree with the late afternoon sun peering down on them?

Your journal can be your private, sacred space. Later on, you may wish to share these words with others, or you may not. That’s not important. In sharing your work, you put yourself out there for the entire world to see—exposed and naked. You will be judged; behind every corner there’s another critic, but don’t write for them. Write for those that want to enter your world, and see things in a new light. When these fellow travelers read your thoughts they will be immersed in your field of consciousness.

Take fifteen minutes at some point today and allow yourself to share a few intimate words with yourself. Unleash the creative beauty inside yourself. (And this goes double for those of you who don’t think you can write.)

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey