{"id":104,"date":"2010-12-01T16:50:44","date_gmt":"2010-12-01T23:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/?p=104"},"modified":"2010-12-01T23:08:44","modified_gmt":"2010-12-02T06:08:44","slug":"the-inner-voice-and-outer-flow-of-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/?p=104","title":{"rendered":"The Inner Voice and Outer Flow of Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"woman<\/a>Writer\u2019s Block, Al Green and Happy Feet<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you ever sat down to write, only to feel an immense resistance to getting started?\u00a0 You\u2019ve tried every \u201ctrick of the trade\u201d for giving the inner editor the slip or for creating a welcoming space for the muse, but the ideas are just … not … flowing.\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019ve been following all the advice and strategies that are supposed to at least facilitate, if not guarantee, writing success but your writing style feels contrived and the topic is leaving you as flat as an out-of-tune piano.<\/p>\n

If you are writing in a voice or style that isn\u2019t fully yours alone, why would you expect it to sound anything but flat and forced? If your soul\u2019s melody is a baroque symphony and your natural style edges toward eloquently written essays or epics, let\u2019s face it: You\u2019re<\/em> not going to be happy writing the equivalent of short little ditties or commercial jingles, even though other writers may love and excel at those formats.\u00a0 Similarly, if you are writing on a topic because that\u2019s what you think you \u201cshould\u201d be covering but it doesn\u2019t resonate with you, it\u2019s difficult to craft an inspired piece of writing.\u00a0 No matter what writing techniques you use to jazz it up, that flat, uninspired tone is going to linger in the background.<\/p>\n

I heard an interesting story, a while back, about the singer Al Green<\/a>.\u00a0 Apparently when he was first starting out, he wasn\u2019t quite hitting the mark in terms of capturing a lot of listeners.\u00a0 The reason, apparently, was because he was trying to sing like the Soul music guru of his early days\u2014James Brown<\/a>\u2014rather than sounding like himself. \u00a0If you\u2019ve heard either of them sing, you know that Al Green\u2019s voice is silky smooth compared to James Brown\u2019s grittier vocals.\u00a0 \u00a0Now I\u2019m sure he did a great job of trying to sound like James Brown, but Al Green became a whole lot more successful after his producer persuaded him to embrace and build on the strengths of his own vocal style.<\/p>\n

One of the best examples that comes to my mind of being true to how you express your inner self\u00a0 is the character \u201cMumble\u201d in the movie Happy Feet<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Remember the little Emperor penguin who couldn\u2019t find his unique heart-song or hold a note to save his place in his community? He was ostracized for his perceived \u201cfailure\u201d and \u201crefusal\u201d to conform to the norm, but he wasn\u2019t trying to be difficult or contrary. It\u2019s just that his soul wasn\u2019t meant to express itself through song: He had happy feet, a great sense of rhythm, and was meant to express his spirit through dancing, not singing.<\/p>\n

Dammed if you do and damned if you don\u2019t<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling resentful and resistant to writing yet another piece that doesn\u2019t resonate for you, maybe it\u2019s time to stop struggling with something that clearly isn\u2019t working and check in with your inner wisdom to find out what the resistance is about.\u00a0 You can also stop beating up on yourself because you can\u2019t seem to:<\/p>\n

(a) slip past your inner editor,<\/p>\n

(b) get your muse enthused,<\/p>\n

(c) convert all of the advice from the writing gurus into something you\u2019d be happy to publish, or<\/p>\n

(d) even put your finger on the source of the block.<\/p>\n

The \u201cproblem\u201d is not that you can\u2019t follow instructions.\u00a0 The \u201cproblem\u201d might just be that your soul\u2019s purpose for writing has been buried under what the ego thinks is the sole purpose for writing; recognition, fame, attracting a large following of readers or potential clients through your books or blog, or however you define success by external standards.\u00a0 I\u2019m not denying they\u2019re valid reasons for writing.\u00a0 After all, if your writing is the vehicle through which you serve the world and make your living, you do need readers and clients.\u00a0 I am suggesting that in getting caught up in the perceived importance of external feedback and input, we might be overlooking a vitally important source of guidance in our lives.<\/p>\n

In the process of trying too hard to please others or pandering to the ego\u2019s agenda, maybe you\u2019ve unwittingly fallen into replicating someone else\u2019s model for producing their masterpiece and followed the dictates of \u201cconventional wisdom\u201d too well.\u00a0 Rather than serving as useful guides or material you could use to support the river banks of your expressive flow, the plethora of observations and \u201chow to\u201d advice has either dammed the flow or diverted the flow by changing the nature of its intended course. You\u2019ve blocked your <\/em>inner wisdom and unique voice\u2014the true wellspring of your creativity and inspiration.<\/p>\n

I recently found myself in this situation. \u00a0I knew I \u201cshould\u201d really be writing a blog article that was short, sweet and helpful on a topic related to my business. \u00a0But the more I forced myself to write something that was short, focused, and practical, the more resentful and disengaged I began to feel. \u00a0Instead of enjoying and immersing myself in the writing process, resistance set in and the few sentences that I would churn out felt constrained and contrived. \u00a0I think it\u2019s one of the few times that the inner editor and the muse collaborated and went on strike until I came to my senses and listened to their demands.<\/p>\n

I spent some time fretting and running circles in the mental hamster wheel before I remembered to dig out my copy of Make Light Work<\/a> <\/em><\/strong>(Kate Sutherland, 2010) and plunge into the work that reconnected me with the voice of my inner wisdom. \u00a0I also used some of the suggestions outlined in Julia Cameron\u2019s Finding Water: the Art of Perseverance<\/em><\/strong> (2006), and a few of my own ideas to shape and guide my quest.<\/p>\n

\"dreamstime_5254457_birth<\/a>Restoring the Flow<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are\u2014or have been\u2014feeling similarly dammed (pun intended), I invite you to journey to your sacred wellspring and remove the debris that is preventing your inner voice and wisdom from flowing freely on to the page.\u00a0 Your discoveries and decisions emerging out of this process will most likely differ from mine\u2014as they should.\u00a0 If you are inclined to share any of your discoveries and experiences along the way, I invite you to post a comment and\/or additional suggestions.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve outlined the steps below that I used to reconnect with my inner vision (purpose) and create a clear course for what inspires and wants to flow through me in my voice and on to the page. \u00a0The process requires both some inner journeying and outer activity.\u00a0 We\u2019ll start with the inner journey and move outward.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Upstream Walkabout: <\/strong>This is a self-guided visualization and inner journey.\u00a0 The visualization was inspired by some of the images in my favourite tarot deck (The Arthurian Tarot by John and Caitlin Matthews) that spontaneously sprang to mind while I was meditating.\u00a0 Make yourself comfortable and let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n

Imagine that you are out walking and you have found a mostly dried-up creek bed with a foot-path running along beside the creek.\u00a0 You are not sure how long ago the creek dried up but there is no sense of the invigorating energy generated by a creek:\u00a0 Instead, there are a few shallow pools of stagnant water, the mud in the stream bed is only slightly damp, and some of the reeds growing out of the mud have started to dry out.<\/p>\n

You are curious about what happened to the creek, so you decide to follow the creek to its source\u2014to the wellspring where it first bubbles up from underground\u2014and see if you can restore the flow of water and heal the surrounding habitat.\u00a0 You follow the path along the side of the creek and you are aware of an unnatural silence.\u00a0 As you continue to walk upstream, the landscape shifts and becomes more heavily wooded, and still there are no sounds or signs of life.<\/p>\n

You walk for another 10 minute and soon you hear a faint dripping sound.\u00a0 You look over and see the place where the creek should surface, but it is clogged with debris\u2014as if someone had tried to dam the flow of water or maybe divert it from its natural course.\u00a0 You see an animal standing there, as if it has been waiting for you.\u00a0 In fact, it has been waiting for you and much to your surprise it starts talking to you.\u00a0 The animal tells you what happened to the stream and asks you to unblock the spring and thus heal the land.<\/p>\n

You walk over to the spring and you start to clear away the debris\u2014human made objects, rocks, branches, and mud. Finally, you move the last stone and cool, clear water bubbles up and spills into the creek bed once more.\u00a0 It dances over your hands and feet as it rushes downhill, gurgling and babbling with joy at being free to run its course again.\u00a0 The sound of the flowing water and the sense of freshness and renewed energy generated by the water\u2019s movement is healing and rejuvenates you, too, as you walk back along the path to where you started.<\/p>\n

Return to the present moment and take some time to write about the experience. \u00a0What kind of animal greeted you at the spring?\u00a0 What did it tell you? \u00a0How does the meditation relate to your own sense of flow being blocked?<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0 Temporarily tune out the advice and wisdom of the experts.<\/strong> The idea is to spend some time reconnecting with the voice of your inner wisdom\u2014your Self.\u00a0 It\u2019s difficult to do that if you\u2019re constantly looking outside of yourself for answers and advice, no matter how wise or accurate it may be.\u00a0 Once you\u2019ve figured out how your inner knowing speaks to you, what inspires you, and how that wants to be expressed in the world, it\u2019s easier to discern what will support and what will impede the development of your own voice and style especially if that flows counter to the conventional wisdom.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0 Get some fresh air\u2014literally and figuratively. <\/strong>Unplug from the computer.\u00a0 Take a break from the writing that is currently leaving you feeling discouraged, blocked or otherwise out of sorts with your Self.\u00a0 Pushing yourself to do more of the same is not going to suddenly yield dramatically different results.\u00a0 I find that going for a walk through a park or by a river helps me to tune into both the present moment and the voice of my inner knowing.<\/p>\n

For a figurative breath of fresh air, you might want to try this strategy from Julia Cameron\u2019s book Finding Water<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Write a list of ten activities that you enjoy doing and then do them.\u00a0 Whether you go outside for some fresh air or you choose to engage in another activity you like, do it mindfully and, to borrow a pearl of wisdom from Make Light Work<\/em><\/strong>, notice what you notice.\u00a0 Be open to what catches your attention, what makes your curiosity perk up, what inspires you and make a note of it, even if it\u2019s just a few sentences or key words in a journal.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0 Give yourself permission to simply write what wants to come through you. <\/strong>Trust that when the writing is guided by your inner knowing and the subject resonates deeply with you, the words will flow effortlessly onto the page.\u00a0 (You\u2019ll still have to edit the piece, but getting a first draft onto the page will be a lot easier and whole lot more joyful.)\u00a0 My guess is the piece will feel inspired and exude a genuine engagement with the subject.\u00a0 It\u2019s likely that most of your readers will also notice this and respond in kind.<\/p>\n

You may lose a few readers or potential clients who have fixed ideas about what they think you \u201cshould\u201d be writing about and what they consider to be an appropriate \u201cformat\u201d, but so what? You might also gain some new readers or potential clients who also \u201cget\u201d what you\u2019re really about.\u00a0 They want to work with you or read your blog or books because you radiate a heart-felt engagement with your writing and you honour rather than constrain the natural flow of things, whether it\u2019s a topic that needs a 4,000 word essay, or a one page \u201chow to..\u201d article.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Give it the light touch. <\/strong>Sometimes we just care too much about whether we\u2019re doing things \u201cthe right way\u201d (read that as entrenched and often unquestioned), whether others will like us or our writing, or whether we\u2019re successful according to some vaguely defined set of standards \u201cout there\u201d.\u00a0 If all the external debris and hubris has squelched whatever joy you originally got from writing, it might just be time to gleefully exclaim \u201cUndam it all\u201d, and let your inner wisdom and vision flow freely.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re feeling resentful and resistant to writing yet another piece that doesn\u2019t resonate for you, maybe it\u2019s time to stop struggling with something that clearly isn\u2019t working and check in with your inner wisdom to find out what the resistance is about. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=104"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104\/revisions\/111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdc-sage-editing.com\/sdc-sagewit\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}