Having finished my creative writing course, I wish that at the beginning of it, I had given myself the same advice I gave my boy when he told me he didn’t want to go to the School Sports Carnival.
I gave him the standard parental advice about the importance of trying, to give things a go. Winning isn’t everything, I explained and that even for me, no matter how many running races I complete, I’m never first.
He gave me a discerning look, “Why even bother, Mama???”
Yes, why even bother, indeed.
Walking into that first writing class, I was shit scared, caught up in detrimental thoughts of not being good enough or feared of being judged.
But I walked away with valuable lessons about trusting your creativity process and keep the negative voices at bay.
Use pen and paper
It sounds so old school but oh wow, how liberating! To sit for 20 minutes at a time and let my imagination take over and have my hand almost dance across the page! Then finishing up with a sore, cramped hand? What a weird yet accomplished feeling!
Give yourself permission to write junk
Mr Surfer is always giving me a hard time about my collection of notebooks. I keep buying them and yet, they’re all still empty and unused. Despite good intentions to write, there was the lingering fear of writing shit. But guess what? Even Ernest Hemingway wrote shit. So now I have at least 2 notebooks full of shit. My husband will be so proud.
Steal time to write
I often moan about how little time I have to write – kids, part-time work, But funnily I managed to make time to do the daily we were set with daily homework. Sure, I watched less TV and went off-line more often but now I know I can’t be making any more excuses.
I don’t know where all this writing is going to take me. It might take me nowhere. But what’s most important is that I let my imagination go on any journey it wants to.
Enjoy the ride. Don’t worry about the destination.
Do you let yourself write junk? Got a weakness for buying notebooks and other unnecessary stationary?
1. Follow With Some Grace.
2. Sign up to the awesome Digital Parents community ( if you haven’t already done so). DP was created by Brenda Gaddi who happens to be the creator of FYBF. She’s also created 4 gorgeous kidlets. In case you’d like to know. Or maybe not. But we’ll share that info just the same.
3. Add your post URL to the FYBF linky. Please only link up one post.
4. Grab the funky FYBF button and post it on your sidebar. Help spread the blogfloggin love.
5. Visit the blogs of your fellow FYBF’ers and share the comment love
Loading InLinkz ...
You have to write some junk while you’re sorting it all out. And the upside of notebooks is you can go back if you like the characters and ‘fix it’. I even submitted junk to Grieve this year cos I just couldn’t get it right. 4 attempts and none were working. I wasn’t published this year but it doesn’t matter. I can try again next year…Join in First of the Month Fiction if you want to write a little doodle of a story
Lydia C. Lee recently posted..First of the Month Fiction – October
I like that Ernest Hemingway quote. I think he must have read Deep Fried Fruit …
Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit recently posted..Day 2535 – Skin Cancer News
I love notebooks/stationary etc!! I often restrict myself from buying any though as usually the kids claim it as theirs, plus I already have an excessive amount!
I have a gazillion pretty empty notebooks. As a teenager I would fill notebooks with random thoughts, quotes and song lyrics. You’ve inspired me to start again!
Sarah @sarahdipity recently posted..For the Love of Words
I love buying notebooks! I have quite a few empty ones! To be honest I probably don’t need to buy another notebook for the next ten years – lol!
Ingrid @ Fabulous and Fun Life recently posted..Fabulous New Season Fashion Trend: Spots!
Oh phew…I am not the only one…in fact your commenters join us. I have both notebooks and art journals…started a tiny bit then i go off on another tangent.Let’s just say it’s part of the creative process for our brains. Have a good 2 weeks with the boys on school hols. D xx
Denyse Whelan recently posted..Sydney’s Opera House. 366/267.
Complaining I don’t have time to write is the story of my life but I realise now that I just didn’t want to. It wasn’t the time, it was the lack of interest in writing that slowed me down. I’m hoping I have inspired myself to write again after writing this post, the first since early July! And I love stationary but it just sits pretty with nothing in it!
Haidee@Maybe Baby Brothers recently posted..A Comedy Of Errors
I snatch time to write all over the place. It’s they only way!
Amy @ handbagmafia recently posted..Is it okay to ask a woman if she’s pregnant?
I write lots of junk. Sometimes writing junk can give the most inspirational ideas. Then it’s just a matter of sifting through it all. I start a lot but often never finish. I think it’s a ‘time’ thing with me and one day I’ll be able to just chill out and sort out all my jumbled thoughts and come up with something awesome…one day…..
Mandy @ Barbie Bieber and Beyond recently posted..Barbie Bieber and Beyond Online Shop Is Here
I love that you’re letting your imagination run wild through writing. You’d be surprised what comes out. I like to type and I also like notebooks. Way to go.
Maria Parenti-Baldey recently posted..A Smokin’ Lunch
I’m totally addicted to notebooks! And yes, they’re all full of shit just like my blog. Writing shit FTW!
Ness recently posted..If Toys Had Feelings
I actually bought a new one (note book) online last night. I will add it to my collection of completely empty stationery items. Glad you have started using yours!
JodY At Six Little Hearts recently posted..Royal Melbourne Show Review 2016. School Holiday Fun for Families #SLHFeaturedThursdays
I’m going to do NaNoWriMo in November this year as it’s all about writing junk and getting words on paper rather than editing as you go.
I also switch to pen and paper if I get stuck on something and it always helps.
Deborah recently posted..My personal first aid kit
Seriously I can’t remember the time I wrote until my arms and fingers cramped!! But I kinda remember what it was like though.. haha so happy for you to find the joy in good old-fashion writing again!! 🙂
Ai Sakura recently posted..TYR Singapore Showroom Swim Gear Shopping
I find it super difficult to write with pen and paper for longer than about 10 minutes these days! Good on you for getting into it.
Beth | AlmostPosh.com recently posted..Leibster Award Nomination : Teacher Types
Glad I’m not the only one with a notebook and stationery addiction 🙂 Good on you for meet your daily writing quota … I have heard about using writing as part of your morning routine in order to brain dumping whatever is in your head; it doesn’t matter what comes out on the page it’s just about writing and releasing. Sounds so good, I’d love to start doing that if I could get up earlier than my kids … but right now that would be at ridiculous o’clock 😉
Yep, I have pieces of paper everywhere and notebooks, it seems better to write it down then have it in a computer sometimes.
Happy school holidays lovely, here’s to finding more time to write or do whatever it is we love most for ourselves.
x
sarah@tomfo recently posted..7 easy diy wrapping paper ideas
I have to write things down by hand – i have a few notebooks on the go and I’m always taking notes on what I read and learn online. Let it all out – there will be treasures amid the junk!
Kirsty @ My Home Truths recently posted..Sleep Solutions for Special Needs Parents
Good on you lovely, writing doesn’t need to take you anywhere, it’s good for the soul and that’s what matters most xx
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me recently posted..Why you MUST write an autobiography
I have a drawer full of notebooks…they’re so pretty I can’t help but buy them! It’s dangerous walking into a stationery store. 😛 I hear you about writing anything…it helps and who knows where it will go from there! 🙂
Sanch @ Living my Imperfect Life recently posted..7 all-time favourite movies #FridayReflections