Friday, January 29, 2010

Writing from the Spirit

Genesis 37: 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
***

Truth in poetic form or any form is the only way to write. When I write poetry I feel as if a small surge of energy flows through my veins. I can sense it moving until it reaches my fingertips and urges me to write.

This is what writing should feel like to you. When you sit down to write, if you’re not feeling the surge of the spirit, you will not only write gibberish, you’ll put up a brick wall and you won’t be able to write anything.

When sitting down to write, clear your mind of all of the outside distractions. This is probably the hardest part in writing and that is finding the quiet space and time to get things down on paper. Having access to a computer helps but remember the pen and paper was around before the keyboard.

Writing from the depths of your being is what writing is all about. Does it matter if you write in a POV that people like? Well I have to say, write what YOU like. If it feels like the poetic style that you are accustomed to writing is calling you to jot something down, then by all means write what is in your heart and don’t worry what other people are going to say or think.

Sometimes I think you can get to caught up in bringing perfection to the table when we all know the tablecloth has a stain from last Christmas. What does that mean? Nothing is perfect! We can’t expect to ever be perfect in our writing, our views, what we say, or what we do for that matter. Life holds high expectations and writers are not exempt from feeling the need to be arbitrarily stagnant.

We have high hopes, we need compelling reasons why we aren’t where we think we should be, we need affirmation, we need a pat on the back. Yes, we’re needy. Admit it.
But this does not mean we are perfect. I myself don’t strive for perfection because I know it is an illusion that can never be. In my writing, the same holds true. There is no perfect place that says, you’re done.

Strive to be better, yes. Learn all you can, yes. But feel the need to be perfect? Never.

Believe in yourself. Just be!

5 comments:

Ana said...

Your post is beautiful! Shall I post it agin? A part has been gnawed away.

Sorry for the trouble

Ana

joni said...

YOUR post is beautiful Ana!
Your spirit is what drives your writing and I see it in every word.
Stop doubting yourself and acknowledge that no one is perfect. We may strive for it but it will never happen.
Almost perfect? :-) Obtainable!

Joni

p.s. you are no trouble!!

Ana said...

Thanks, Joni, very much.I must thank Gwen,for using ,"The River of Life," because I posted a poem in the group"Weavers WORLD" AND she suggested that I wrote a poem titled "Thw rive of Life."Then I read, first your post in tghe Italo Calvino room, an found your examples absolutely beautiful.Finally,I read your blog and was more than inspired.
You make me work hard but I do it with joy.this has never happened before.
Thank you so much
You are a GREAT writer.

Thanks again.

Ana

:-)

Steven said...

Good post, baby!

Ana said...

Absolutely delightful poem,Joni. I hope my words were able to express how I felt.

I wish I could write like that!

Ana