Why write?

Sometimes I wonder why I feel the need to write. What drives writers - wanna be and big time - to write? It's been said that writing is a yoga - a practice. And that true writers, ones in practice rather than in name, write. That is what they do, whether or not anyone reads what they write, if they even write for public consumption. It is like breathing; if you don't do it you really miss it after a while...


I love words and ideas. Maybe that's why I write....at least why I write some of the time. And I've been collecting words for nearly two decades. Capturing quotes and keeping them hidden away for my own enjoyment, pulling them out to add to them or pick a favorite to use in something I'm working on. I always intended to "do something" with the entire list someday. The idea of a book flitted around the back of my mind, but that was so expected, done so many times. What could I add? And that was important, I needed to add something to demonstrate my worth, my skill, my - what? Presence, perhaps? 


Anyway, I had let several months of quotes pile up without adding them to my collection. So I dug in today to get caught up. The process itself a practice, a meditation. I would see that I had accomplished something. In the middle of doing this, I came across a quote that I had to share here...


"You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke." 
-Arthur Plotnik, editor and author (b. 1937)


Yep, that's true. I write - often struggle to write - to get what's inside of me out. Then I throw it away because it's not worthy of seeing the light of day. But every time I push the "publish post" button, I can feel the fire burning off the smoke just a bit more.  

A message for IC: take a hike!

So much time passes between posts even though there are things flying through my mind that I think "hmmm.....I should write about that." But my Inner Critic steps up and loudly pooh-poohs the idea as something unworthy of attention. It is always looking for the perfect rather than accepting the thought that is trying to come into focus. Or the idea that might just be a good one if shared and explored. Then later, after time has passed, and someone else has offered an imperfectly formed thought or shared an idea that was built on and refined, I am angry at myself for sitting silently, yet again letting IC win.

The small bit of good news is that I'm not alone. The better bit of news is that it's occurred to me that with every post I make, IC (which has had a lifetime to do a heck of good job of blooming where she is planted) becomes a bit weaker. I think IC as a she because, well, it just sounds like it. (Even now as I write this, she's critiquing...."that is so stupid, saying an IC has a gender"....) Anyway, I know I'm not alone in trying to shove a permanent sock in my critic's mouth because there are all kinds of articles, websites, worshops and assorted other resources devoted to the subject. And they aren't all from the right brain crowd. Even the Wall Street Journal has covered the topic! So if the left brainers are concerned, it must be mainstream, right? (Hmmm....looking for mainstream legitimacy is a bit of a win for IC, isn't it? Sheesh!)

More work to do....