Writing: enjoying the process (over the result)
Writing is about the process not just the result. So why do we feel like a failure if we’re not published and on the New York Times bestsellers list? I explore how enjoying the process can help us create an embodied practice of writing, releasing perfection so we can reclaim our authentic voice.
I write, therefore I am
I used to be a marketing copywriter. I wrote trendy phrases like “be your best self.” Ultimately they were golden words that enticed and sparkled. And yet they left me feeling empty. That’s because what glitters is not always gold. Now, four years after being a professional writer, I am reclaiming the simple process of writing. Writing my words.
My words are regular and simple. I don’t have daily revelations, live a spectacular life or promise massive transformation. Yet I do believe my words matter. Because being normal can also be celebrated. I used to write for others and now I write for myself. I’m moving towards an embodied writing practice.
In therapy, embodiment practices focus on the mind-body connection. Instead of over-identifying with our thoughts, we can move and sense our bodily sensations (e.g. “my stomach is feeling anxious” etc). As I start to write in a more embodied way I’m starting to ask, “what do I want to say?” Beneath the noise and self-doubt, there is a mysterious magic. It is unfolding slowly, revealing itself gradually.
Goodbye perfection
I wanted to be perfect for 37 years. It left me running in circles and having anxiety and depressive cycles. It’s such a difficult cycle to escape. Being perfect often gets praised by society which adds another complication because who doesn’t want applause? Being authentic and flawed and achieving incremental (and hidden) success is not as glamorous.
I had black-and-white thinking for a long time. Thinking in grey, accepting nuance, and challenging my conditioning takes time. Writing is seeing the grey, listening to the unsaid. We like definitive answers and yet the most growth happens when we don’t have an answer. We fall apart and are forced to make meaning from the mess.
Automatic writing and channelling hope
We have the power to write our own story. If we can face ourselves we can see that fear is hope in the dark. The process of writing can be boring, revealing, tedious, emotional, transactional and a whole range of other emotions. When we ease into the process (rather than demand it be a certain way) we can learn to savour the moment as it unfolds.
Recently I’ve been experimenting with automatic writing and channelling. Whereas automatic writing lets me connect to my subconscious force, letting this guide me to what needs to be said; I use channelling to tap into energy. I may get inspired by a song or book and tap into the energy before letting this take over when I write. Both are stream-of-conscious writing styles, helping me to see that writing is so much more than “me”. It’s really about the larger “we” as we all write to connect to others struggling to process what has been, what is and what is yet to be.
TL;DR
Writing is a process, not just a result. By enjoying the journey we release the need to be perfect, finding our authentic voice.
Embracing an embodied writing practice lets us connect with our body and mind, sensing our sensations, and accepting nuance.
Automatic writing and channelling can help us connect to our subconscious mind and collective energies - letting us connect with others.
✍️ Journal prompt: What does your authentic voice sound like when you're not trying to impress others? How can you bring more of that into your daily writing?
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