It’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S., so many of us are thinking about gratitude.
It occurred to me that since here at Called to Write we focus on writing, it might be worth thinking about what we are grateful for that writing has brought to our lives.
So here’s a place to share, if you feel so inspired.
Let us know in the comments … what has writing given you that you’re grateful for?
I’ll go first:
- The satisfaction of pursuing one of my two most deeply held dreams, alongside my dream of becoming a mother.
- The joy of playing in far off imaginary worlds that I’ve always loved but never believed I could be responsible for creating.
- Incredible amounts of personal growth, self-discipline, self-confidence, self-trust, new habits, and new beliefs.
- Exciting adventures in learning about writing fiction and screenwriting.
- A tribe of incredible writers I’m grateful to call friends and colleagues.
It’s your turn. :)
What has writing given you that you’re grateful for?
I’d agree with every one of your points, Jenna, and for me have to add that it has also provided healing. Writing and publishing the memoir, finally letting go of the secrets I’d held for a almost a lifetime and seeing the responses of those who could connect with what I wrote was more healing for me than all the therapy I’d undergone through the years. What a blessing!
Healing is a powerful aspect of writing, you are so right, Mary! Thank you for sharing that with us. :)
Writing has given me the only self-appreciation and self-affection I have ever experienced in my life. When I’m in the parallel universe, I’m in pure beauty.
Ooh, Pamala, I love that. Thank you for sharing it with us!
In a word, myself. People often quote Joan Didion, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” My version would be, “I didn’t know who I really was until I started writing.” Doing morning pages and now eight months of automatic writing, I’ve discovered some of my favorite parts of “me.” Those parts had been simmering underneath a translucent layer of “group mind” – kind of like the gelatinous skin that forms on lukewarm soup that hasn’t been stirred and is growing cold. Writing stirs the pot, for sure! I keep finding these nuggets that had drifted to the bottom, untasted and unseen.
But there was a precursor to all this, Jenna, and that is your Writer’s Circle. I had lurked about for over a year, and what struck me most was what is NOT here. It’s a dogma-free zone. There’s no invasion of privacy by this tribe, though writers are often confused when I tell them we don’t share our writing! There are no platitudes, which are never a useful substitute for actual practice in my experience. Very few rules – just enough to make this place work. And no rigid formulas. Surprisingly, that opens the space to receive as little or as much support as each writer wants, as little or as much interaction, and unlimited freedom to create what and how we each prefer.
I am deeply grateful to be a member for over 2 years. It’s become my home away from home, my refuge in the storm, and my personal cheering section that wakes up the room when I share an accomplishment! How does it get any better than this? Thank you, Jenna.
Oh, Roxanne, thank you for sharing this! Yes, I feel the same way — it is through writing I often discover what I think, and it has certainly been through my writing that I have become much more of who I am. You’ve reminded of going back to both morning pages and automatic writing. I love this! And you are so right about the Circle. We don’t have a lot of rules or “right ways”; you’ve described it so well. THANK YOU!!! I am grateful to have you be a part of it.
Writing has given me clarity of thought and feeling; it has helped me to be consistent and to keep going. It has also helped me to consider that which I hadn’t considered previously. It is indeed a safe place to be with encouragement and insight. There are some things skills such as cooking and branding that it has given me the confidence to make an attempt to try out.
Michele, wonderful! I love those. Writing is so great for opening minds, isn’t it?
Writing screenplays has given me joy and entertainment and a way to share that with others. It’s one of the greatest gifts in my life.
I love that too, Phyllis. So much. Thank you!
I am grateful for the writing communities I’ve found over the last few years – the Writer’s Circle is a critical one – and the cool ways they overlap. I am grateful for the consistency of the Circle, the awesome coaching, the support of my group, and the practice of daily writing.
Aww! Awesome! We love having you as part of the Writer’s Circle and I agree, the community aspect of writing is a wonderful thing (and interestingly a big plus of being online in many ways!). :)
I am grateful that writing has been patient with me for so long, until I finally began working on my teaching manual (in the Writer’s Circle). The rhythm of daily writing mixes beautifully with my daily drawing/painting. I am so glad to discover I can do both–which erases the stereotype of having and nourishing only one gift. Journal writing helps me sort my feelings from my thoughts, without which I could not make good decisions. The gratitude I hold for the many friends and gifts writing brings me is profound.
That’s beautiful, Kits! Thank you for sharing it with us. I love what you said about writing being patient with you. For me, too!