Personal Growth Through Writing
What’s holding you back from getting your thoughts onto paper?
The greater journey of life begins with the desire to form a relationship. A connection with oneself. Writing is an effective tool for doing so, but it requires the formation of another intimate connection. One for the page. It is simple from a practical standpoint.
Your only tools will be a pen and paper. More, however, is required to create a relationship that honors both the art of writing and the path of personal development. The tools — the pen and paper — are useless unless two other factors are present: Commitment and Permission.
Be assured, I do not say these words lightly; I am well aware of the quiver they cause in the gut, the sweat they bring to the hands, and the turning away from many an adventure undertaken in their honor. They are, however, the companions you must befriend if you are to become a traveler on this journey if you are to come to know and grow as a writer.
Let me explain what I mean by a relationship with the page. If you decide to make writing a part of your life, it is just like any other relationship you form. A simple, fundamental truth is that if you want your relationships with your significant other, family, and friends to work, to be strong and positive, you must, most importantly, show up to them.
You cannot ignore or neglect them; instead, you must offer them your time, energy, and enduring presence with a willing spirit. In a nutshell, you must commit. It’s the same with writing.
Commitment
Writing that is real, that moves, touches, and transforms is not created by simply becoming acquainted with it. Rather, such writing emerges from an intimate connection, one formed by showing up to meet the page, discovering the words and energy within you that desire and demand expression, and embracing the voice found between the lines.
Understand that writing like this is the most important commitment you will ever make because it is the commitment to enter into an authentic relationship with yourself. Whatever genre you choose, your work will only contain the amount of truth that you are willing to discover within yourself.
So, if you want to write deeply, you must commit to this relationship with all of its risks (for without doubt you will meet upon your way characters, places, and experiences you are not so fond of). As with entering any new relationship or embarking on any journey, you do so with your vulnerability exposed, unsure of what lies ahead but willing to venture into the unknown.
Why? For treasures can only be found in the adventure of a relationship. The rawness of being, the joy, the beauty. The astounding breadth and depth of experience. How painful moments, when confronted with them, can become those that renew your vision and leave you wiser.
Too often, one’s relationship with oneself comes last in terms of time and attention. But it is the most important. And the kind of relationship that the page requires is one in which nothing is hidden. However, it is also the type that promises to love no matter what is discovered.
Getting Started
So, how do you get started with this relationship with the page and with yourself? You compose. You also write. You also write.
Create a writing routine
It’s referred to as journaling. As I like to call it, Ground Writing. Call it whatever you want, but if writing is a way for you to get to know yourself, a skill you want to hone, or an art form you want to pursue, you must first decide and then commit.
Simple procedures:
A pad of paper, a spiral notebook with your favorite cartoon character on the front, or a leather-bound journal will suffice. Find a pen rather than a pencil or a computer keyboard. Allow yourself to become acquainted with the flow of your words as they move from heart and gut to hand without erasure.
Commit to writing every day for one week
Decide on a time frame. I recommend starting with 5 minutes and increasing it by 5 minutes each day.
Select a time of day
Put a time on your calendar for each of the next seven days. Make a date with yourself and keep it as you would any other. When the time comes, find a comfortable place to sit, grab a notebook and a pen, set a timer, and start writing. If you’re stuck for ideas, start with this: Right now, I’m going to let your hand decide the next word and the next.
Examine your commitment at the end of the week
> Were you successful in keeping it?
>If not, what obstacles stood in your way? What is one thing you could do to remove or work around the obstacles?
> Would you like to keep writing? Daily? If not, how frequently?
> What writing practice would be most beneficial to you? What kind of schedule are you willing to commit to? Make a note of it and try it out.
> Continue to revise and review as needed. Maintain your dedication.
Obtaining Permission
Permission. I’m curious when you read that word, who do you think I mean for you to obtain permission from? Not from your partner, children, or boss. But only from yourself.
One of the most common reasons students give for not continuing their writing practice is the belief that it is a self-indulgent activity for which they do not have time. I understand that life is full of commitments, and it is easy to turn writing for one’s own purposes into an expendable hobby.
Practices undertaken for reasons other than fiscal or social productivity are more likely to be abandoned first. But, to truly embark on this journey in a way that will improve your writing and your understanding of yourself, you must first allow yourself to step onto the path.
Consider why you want to write. Make a note of your response.
Accept that whatever reason you want to write is sufficient. Period.
Write down your permission statement from above and post it somewhere you will see it every day, and then repeat it until you deeply and completely believe it.
Sowing Seeds
And now we’ll get started. Write, and know that with each word you plant a seed in your consciousness, one that will bear fruit in the shape of your own creative life, one that will, in time, produce the seeds of your next journey.
Conclusion
There you have it, what is keeping you from putting your thoughts down on paper. Give writing a try and see what happens to your personal growth. It’s a great outlet.
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