Day 3 of The Quest for the Quill of Inspiration: An Attitude of Gratitude

"This is a gift I have, simple, simple; a foolish extravagant spirit, full of forms, figures, shapes, objects, ideas, apprehensions, motions, revolutions...But the gift is good in those in whom it is acute and I am thankful for it." ~Shakespeare~

Up until recently, I was having a severe case of Writer's Block. It was incredibly frustrating for me, as I had all this free time to devote to writing, but nothing would come out. I was experiencing a severe dip in my writing swagger, and it was plain making me mad. I felt like my voice was being silenced; that I was blocked somehow from tapping into that place where normally, the words just flowed like Niagra Falls.

That dip in my swagger prompted a sweeping change, and once I set the wheels in motion to overcome it, inspiration virtually surrounded me at every turn. I found Jack Heffron's wonderful book and I was pointed in the direction of creating a blog. Being put in the company of like-minded souls who shared my passion for writing helped immensely as well. Thus was the end of the block as I knew it. And boy, was I grateful.

It is with an attitude of gratitude that I say I'm happy I had that block. If it weren't for that huge, granite-like, hindering block, I'd have had no inclination to try and move it. After flexing my muscles for quite sometime, I was finally able to move it to see what was waiting beyond. I was more than pleasantly surprised at the enchanting scenery before my eyes.

It was like a magic wand had been waved over me and everything around me; my world literally seemed to sparkle with inspiration. That project I'd been wanting to start just unfolded in front of my eyes, as if by magic. I couldn't get to the laptop soon enough, because the words were literally rushing through my head. Ideas sprang forth, refreshing my mind like a spring in a desert oasis. I was parched for so long that I am still standing with my head under the water, drinking in long, satisfying pulls. I can't get enough.

Suffice to say, the challenge of being creatively blocked served me very well. I actually gave a little prayer of thanks to that stubborn block, for it has helped me do things I never would have thought of doing before. This blog being one of those things. I've decided to look at my blocks as necessary tools for my creativity. Without them, I'd still be tapping the paper in frustration. If I happen to encounter one again, I'll know just what to do: Thank it first.

Day 2 of The Quest for the Quill of Inspiration: Acknowledging the Difficulty

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.” ~Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933)~



It's Day 2 in my Quest for the Quill of Inspiration, and I've once again found it in "The Writer's Idea Book". I'm finding this book to be one my most prized writing resources. On my 31st birthday this past Monday, I made myself a promise that I would write every single day. If I want to be a writer, I need to act like one. I no longer have the confines of a 9-5 job, so I have plenty of time to devote to the practice that I treasure so much. The excuses are gone. I've decided to treat my writing time like brushing my teeth. I have to do it every day, lest I end up with furry teeth. Armed with the dental floss for my mind (Jack Heffron's trusty book), I'm slowly flossing away the plaque of Writer's Block.

In his book, Heffron advises to acknowledge writing is hard. His advice is to write down how to strike the delicate balance of willpower and relaxation, stubbornness with joy. (Pg.8) I've decided the minute the coffee is brewed, I'm grabbing a cuppa and flipping open the laptop to my blogspot. Currently, soothing music flows from the speakers as I set my fingers to the keys and type. Ah, a sense of accomplishment in peaceful setting, doing what I love. Relaxation, indeed.

For those that are familiar with my style of writing, I'm very good at streaming consciousness. Obviously, writing reflects your thoughts and flows onto the paper as they , but for me, writing is more often than not, problem-solving on paper. It's my therapy. My zen. And as I continue streaming, I am wondering how in the hell I've let my writing practice go unpracticed for so long. Wrapped in the quiet of the morning, I truly feel like I'm in my element. I feel like I am accomplishing something. I'm smiling out loud as I type, for I am actually doing what I was born to do, regardless of renumeration. I am compensated generously with peace of mind, which to me, is the first ingredient to success.

As much as I love writing, I've determined that like anything else, perfecting it takes due diligence. As a former competition swimmer, I dedicated my free time while in season to fine-tuning my stroke technique, building my endurance and learning new skills that would enhance my performance. That was time well-spent, as far as I was concerned. I met and exceeded my goals constantly. My intention with starting my writing practice is to set, meet and exceed my goals constantly. The first step is to put forth the effort to hone the skill I have, while doing the necessary things to further develop it. It is going to take work, dedication and pure intention. The pure intention is easy; it's the dedication and work that is more difficult, but I shall prevail. I'm challenging myself, here and now, to succeed as a writer. And I've never been one to fail at a challenge given to me.

Day 1 of the Quest for the Quill of Inspiration: Goals, Anyone?

When I had a 9-5 job, I dreamed of being able to have the free time to just write. Oh, the things I would do if I could just be left alone to write. Well, it's been three months exactly since I was laid off from that 9-5 job and what have I done, in terms of writing? Not much.

Why? I'm not so sure. Perhaps it's because the peace and quiet is so overwhelming I can't concentrate. Maybe it's because I get sucked in to Perez Hilton instead of committing to my daily practice. All I know is, there is so much locked inside just waiting to get out and I need to be more diligent. I need to set some goals. Lay out a plan. Seek inspiration daily. Something. Anything.

I purchased "The Writer's Idea Book" by Jack Heffron last night and cracked it open a few minutes go. I did not even get past the first page before inspiration struck. In fact, I did not even get to Mr. Heffron's words, I got stuck at a quote that was placed before the opening sentence:

"It's good to have an end to journey toward; but it's the journey that matters, in the end." ~Ursula K. Leguin~ (Pg. 6)

It dawned on me all of a sudden that I don't even have an end to journey towards. Oh, what a sad state I'm in. I need to get it together, otherwise I'm going to continue being the stagnant, frustrated writer that I am now. How am I supposed to go somewhere when I don't even know where I want to go? A conundrum, indeed.

After further reading into the first chapter of "The Writer's Idea Book", I've decided to follow the instructions of the first prompt, which are to sit at my desk for a certain amount of time every day. I don't have to write, but I can't do anything else, either. At least I'm making the attempt to "show up", which, according to Woody Allen, is 80% of the battle.

Seeing as how I don't do very well being idle, my first attempt at sitting at my desk resulted in a blog about writer's block and lack of goals. Well, I have to start somewhere, right?