My goal is to empower you to write.
Then, you can write to change the world.
Dr Yuyun Peng, founder of the Joy of Writing
It’s October, the month for Canadian Thanksgiving. Try as I might, I couldn’t come up with a way to spell thanksgiving with a “J” to suit the purposes of this blog. However, the first J-word that came to mind was “joy” and that started me on a journey to being grateful for writing.
JOY
Why my mind selected the word “joy” was confusing. For the most part I don't find a lot of joy in writing. Over a good portion of my journey, I thought I had a love hate-relationship with writing. More hate than love. And then I realized that it was a love-hate relationship with the writer. I frustrate myself. There are ideas and concepts that I want to export from my mind to a page of paper and I frequently disappoint myself in the process.
This angst constantly requires self-coaching, “Bob, cut yourself some slack. Being your worst critic does not serve you well. You don’t suck at writing. Stick with it.”
Reading other writers is a joy. This month, “Island of the World” by Michael D. O’Brien, is at the forefront of my Kindle. The novel, set in pre-World War II Yugoslavia, cuts to the core of the question, “How does a person retain his or her identity in absolutely dehumanizing conditions?”
The end of November 2023 for me starts a month of travelling across Ukraine. I was invited to support Ukrainian pastors as they care for their war-torn congregations. I have a sense that their experience will be my support and I’ll gain more than I could ever give. O’Brien’s novel inspires me to write the pastors’ stories of Christian identity in horrific circumstances.
COACHING
My 3-step self-coaching practice is,
Just start writing.
Only write. Edit later. Write some more. You don’t suck.
Yay! It is finished.
And for this I am grateful.
Is writing a joy for you? What makes it joyful? Do you have a love-hate relationship as a writer?
Thank you for reading. Happy Thanksgiving!
