Sift Through the Dirt

What have I learned about writing?

I’ve learned that writing is a verb (duh!).
Writing is about taking action, and the action is simple: sit down, pick up the pen, and start writing.

Do not stop, do not hesitate, do not look at anything but the pen and the paper beneath it, or the computer screen in front of your face.
Do not hesitate, or you may stop, and if you stop you may find a way to keep yourself from starting again.

Turn to the paper, the direction you want to go, and start moving.
Start moving that pen across the page and keep it moving as you leap forward, out towards oblivion.

Keep moving and keep moving and keep moving.
It really is as simple as that.
Get rid of the need to be perfect or right or clever or beautiful.
Let it flow and trust that you will survive.

Trust that when your pen stops moving and you sit back, take a deep breath, and read what your pen has brought forth from your soul, it will be good, and strong, and powerful, even if it’s pure crap, because it came from deep within, and it got you moving.

Even when the words seem to make no sense at all, the act of writing, the action of writing, will save you. The act of writing will eventually lead to understanding, to new insights, to new connections.

Even if I think what I write has no value, someone else may find just the jewel that they’ve been digging for, or may be inspired to write their own crappy stuff without worrying so much about how it will sound.

Sift through the dirt and together we will find some jewels.

-Ann Marie Lei

[Image from Ann Marie Lei]