Venturing beyond comfort zones
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This past weekend I attended a writing retreat. A year and a half ago I ventured into the world of personal writing for the first time, having no idea of whether I would like it, and harboring doubt that I would be “good at it.”
It’s easy to shy away from new things
Writing had not been easy or fun for me in school and long after I entered the work world. When I started sending out my Big Ideas newsletters a decade ago, I easily found topics I wanted to share but I did not write with ease.
As with most things, when you care about doing something — in my case, having ideas I was passionate about sharing — it is easy to commit to doing it. And the more you stick with doing that thing the more you facility you develop for doing it.
Writing weekly articles has become far easier, and something I now do with joy.
But the idea of trying to write from my heart — personal stories or fictional essays — seemed mysterious and daunting.
Did I have a big “WHY” for trying it, like I have for my weekly articles?
Not really.
Did I have curiosity about trying a new expressive form with the guidance of a teacher I’d met who seemed like a gentle and gifted person?
Yes.
I have become more and more willing to step out of my comfort zone as I’ve strengthened the muscles of being a creator in a broad range of ways.
So I challenged myself to explore this new medium and experience what “writing from the deep voice” could feel like.
The act of creating can be challenging
Meeting Leslie Berliant and stepping into the magic of her teaching has enriched my life in unexpected and wonderful ways. She nurtures and supports great women to birth remarkable stories and books.
I am so glad I allowed myself to explore this new form of creative expression.
And yet, creative flow has often proven to be elusive, as it was at the start of this weekend’s retreat.
I have frequently had the same challenge when I enter my studio to paint.
Getting past what feels like a brick wall to find flow is something I am still learning to do with patience.
Because being patient and loving to myself is always the key when ideas and inspiration feel inaccessible.
At the retreat it was easy to compare myself to the other (incredibly talented) writhers in the room. It was tempting at times to say I did not want to share what I'd just spent an hour writing. However, that was not an option!
What I learned was that staying open, connecting to all of my emotions, giving myself time, dropping self-judgement, and choosing to find gratitude and pleasure along the way were the keys to breaking through the barrier.
Words gradually began to flow with more ease.
I also learned (again!), that none of us can judge our own work.
As we wrote for our last block of time on Sunday, I shared something I thought was all right. The response I got from everyone in the room was pure delight at what I had read. One person declared it felt like the start of a novel she would love to read!
Clearly, the small breakthrough I thought I had had was bigger than I was able to assess.
Magic can happen when you find your process and keep going
It’s easy to feel discouraged when inspiration feels elusive. By trusting and staying in a place of possibility, you can remain open and continue to write, or paint, or come up with new directions, concepts and ideas.
If you find yourself feeling a bit stuck or blocked, make any small effort to keep going. Then take another small step and see what shows up.
You may experience a breakthrough, too.
After the writing retreat, a group of us did a live reading from the latest anthology, Writrix Volume Two: Rays of Light, at the Brookline Booksmith. You can watch the reading on YouTube here, and you can order a copy of the book here.
