Write it Down!

I remember the lists - grocery lists, things-to-do lists, Christmas card lists, birthday lists, lists of goals, and lists of dreams. Lists were a constant in my growing up years. My mother was a lister. I think, for her, putting things down on the page made her busy life easier to organize. I think she also liked the satisfaction of checking items off the list once she accomplished them. Growing up watching my mother write her lists and check off accomplishments, I learned to be a lister, too.

There are, of course, the usual lists like those mentioned above, but I have learned new ways of listing through my study of writing. Listing can be a wonderful journaling tool to get down thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, dreams, fears, and so much more. Lists can also provide you with topics to write about, ideas for an upcoming project, inspirations for a creative activity, or evidence of the mind at work. But what I find the most powerful about listing is the practice: "Write it Down, Make it Happen" (the phrase borrowed from the book by the same name by Henriette Anne Klauser).

Writing something down - whether it be a grocery list or a list of life dreams - is a conscious act, and the first step in accomplishing the task. Sure, shopping for groceries is much easier than getting a master's degree, for example, but they are both items on a things-to-do list, tasks to be completed in life. Writing it down is the first step toward making it happen. Just that one simple act of putting the pen to the page and stating the goal - read 3 novels this month, take the car in for an oil change, join a health club, go back to school, climb Mount Everest - is enough to kick-start the action response.

What you are doing when you write down your dreams, goals, and desires, is putting out in the "universe" a positive statement about what you want. This one statement, phrased with decisiveness and clarity, can open opportunities you might never have imagined. Think about how you write in your journal (or wherever you write) - is it all negativity, sorrow, and complaining? If so, how does that make you feel when you write? I would guess that you feel full of negativity, sorrow, and complaints. But if you write honest, clear, positive statements, that lean toward hopefulness and motivation, I would guess that your feelings reflect this way of writing. And when we feel honest, clear, positive, hopeful, and motivated, we are more likely to take action on the things we want and put ourselves "out there" to receive these things.

I have used this practice of writing it down and making in happen in small and large ways. Of course there are the typical lists of things to do on a daily basis, but there is so much more. I use lists for writing topics, things I remember, things I love, places I've been, things I want, places I want to go, goals I hope to achieve, reasons to do (or not do) something, things to say, pros and cons, ways to give, lessons to learn (or lessons learned), opportunities to pursue, fears to overcome.....and the list goes on. (See, I'm always listing!)

Think about it...what do you want? What do you want to achieve? What steps do you have to take to get there? Have you thought of something yet? Well, go ahead, write it down. And then, make it happen!

Facing the Fear of Writing

A writing friend and I were recently talking about the fears many people have about writing. There is something that blocks us, something that tells us we "can't" or'"shouldn't" or "wouldn't know how to begin" writing. Perhaps it comes from childhood when we were taught the "rules" of writing, or from the many humiliating red marks on a writing assignment in school. Maybe we think we are not good enough or that writing is meant for someone else - someone more creative or talented or interesting or famous. Or maybe we think that what we have to say is just not that interesting.

Well, let me tell you this...anyone can write, anyone should write, and beginning is as easy as putting the pen to the page and writing the first word. We all have lives full of stories, adventures, opinions, comedies, and tragedies. We all have stories to share. What you have to say is interesting and wonderful and worth sharing with whomever is willing to hear it.

But there are still fears. Pat Schneider, author of Writing Alone and With Others says, "The first and greatest fear that blocks us as writers is fear of the truth we may discover." We often walk through the world oblivious to or perhaps ignoring who we really are inside, or what we really want from life. We shut ourselves off to the inner emotions so we can "get by" in the world. Facing these secrets is terrifying. What will happen to us if we discover we aren't living the life we really want? Or that we are in a relationship that makes us unhappy? Or we really wish we could be someone other than the person we present to the outside world? These discoveries can be scary and painful and confusing, but they can also lead to personal transformation that will change your life. Schneider says, " Where there is fear, there is buried treasure. Something important lies hidden - something that matters." And she continues, "The act of writing is a tremendous adventure into the unknown, always fraught with danger. But the deeper you go and the longer you work at your art, the greater will be your treasure."

So how do we begin writing when we are paralyzed by so much fear? There are many suggestions from experts in the writing field such as Pat Schneider, Julia Cameron, Natalie Goldberg, Tristine Rainer, and Christina Baldwin. Pick up a book by any one of these writers and you are bound to find useful, inspiring, and creative advice about the writing process. I should know, I have read everything these authors have written and much more. But I'll tell you what works for me, and it is probably the simplest, cheapest, and most portable form I know. What do I do? I just write. I get a notebook - any kind from a $.99 drugstore notebook to an elaborate, handcrafted journal. I get a pen - again, any kind will do as long as you are comfortable with the grip, color, and the way the ink flows across the page. Then I sit down anywhere - at home, in the car, outdoors, at a coffee shop, while waiting for an appointment, on a train, at a bookstore - anywhere. And I write.

I write about what is important to me at the moment or something I am planning. I write about my relationship or my family or friends. I write about how I am feeling about particular topics or something that pissed me off. And when I can't think of anything to write about or when I feel blocked or overwhelmed or tired or confused, I try other tactics. I describe what I see in front of me, paying particular attention to detail. I use writing prompts such as Natalie Goldberg's "I remember..." exercise. I play with words and sounds and try to create interesting combinations of phrases and poetry. I write quotes or song lyrics I can remember and go from there. I make lists. I jot down ideas. I even doodle. I do whatever I need to do, whatever I want to do to get the creativity flowing and the words down on the page.

There is never a requirement for how much to write, how often, or for how long. There is no right way to shape your writing in a set form or structure. There are never any rules about what you need to say or how you say it. There are no requirements at all, except to write. That's it - pick up the pen, put it to the page, and write. Face the fear, whatever it is, and just write.

Don't worry; if this is your personal journal, no one is ever going to see it unless you want them to. This is a safe space, for you and your words alone. No one is there to judge or criticize or laugh at you. No one is there to comment, raise their eyebrows, give suggestions, or make changes. This writing is yours. You are in charge of what is written and what becomes of that writing. Later, if you feel comfortable, perhaps you can find a way to share this writing with others. But until then, keep it as your own. Make your writing time special, sacred, important. Give this time and space to yourself as a gift. Use writing as a way to take care of yourself, appreciate yourself, even pamper yourself. Tell your story and let it live on the page, in your heart, and maybe someday, out in the world. Because it is your story - and it is important.

How Writing Changed My Life

It is impossible to recount all the ways writing has changed my life. But is has, and still does. Writing has transformed me in body, mind, and spirit. Writing has saved me, it has sustained me. Writing is the one thing I can count on at any time of day or night, in any frame of mind, for any reason, and in any capacity. Writing is my friend, my constant companion, my therapist, and my conscience. Writing is what I turn to when I need solace and understanding, comfort and compassion, listening and accepting, creative expression and artistic adventure. The writing experience is non-judgmental and non-critical, open and welcoming, free and easy. Getting down my thoughts, ideas, passions, obsessions, questions, experiences, dreams, and accomplishments in words keeps me alive, gives me strength, teaches me, and transforms me.

Writing is a part of my life in the everyday scribbles in my journal, status reports on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/), emails to friends and family, and this blog. Writing is also a part of my creative life as I work to craft personal narrative, poems, a little fiction, and other writing experiments. I also write for self-understanding, personal expression, and inner transformation. To pursue the writing life I desire, I attend a weekly writing workshop with the amazing, Women Writing for (a) Change (http://www.womenwriting.org/). I am in the process of writing my graduate thesis with a focus on Women's Transformative Writing Process. And I am creating writing workshops for women to inspire others to use writing as a tool for transformation (http://www.womenswritingcenter.com/).

Writing is a part of my everyday. With each word written, each poem crafted, or personal story put down on the page, I am transformed. Through writing, I learn about myself -my wants and needs, my desires and passions, my obsessions and pitfalls, my fears and dreams. I learn about what I can do to create change in my life - and in changing my life, I create change in the lives of those around me. Writing is a generosity to others. As I learn more about who I am, I work hard to become a better person, to take positive actions, and make beneficial changes in myself and the world around me. That generosity to myself reaches out to others as the gift of writing.

As I said, it is impossible to recount all the ways writing has changed my life, but here are a few:

• I have gained greater appreciation and respect for the world around me by paying attention to and writing down the details.
• Writing has seen me through break-ups and losses, confusion and self-doubt, and has been a comfort to me in sadness and pain.
• The journal was an important tool in the total transformation of my body and spirit when I recently lost over 80 pounds. I used the journal, not only as a food diary, but also to record my feelings about the physical and emotional changes through the process of losing weight.
• In writing, I tell the truth and express myself more clearly and more creatively than I can with the spoken word. Writing gives me a voice on the page that I do not necessarily have in public.
• Writing has given me the strength and the motivation to create significant change in my life from moving across the country, to applying to college and eventually graduate school, and even pursuing my writing dreams. I truly believe in the practice of writing it down and making it happen.
• Writing keeps a record of my life - my adventures and experiences, my relationships, my dreams and goals, my losses and gains. My writing is the evidence of my existence.

Writing has changed my life - in all the ways listed above and many more. I discover new ways to create change through writing almost every day. Writing is a transformative process that continues to evolve and grow. Writing is a journey, and I am traveling on...