Writing is an act if faith. One word by one word by one word, we put them on the page without ever knowing where they will take us.
Remember E.L. Doctorow's quote?
And yet we angst about all we cannot see, how far we have yet to go, all the storms and monsters that surely await.
Faith is putting the next word down and the next. We learn to believe in the process, not the outcome. We learn the joy is in the getting there, not "The End."
It's not always easy. There are days when I think it's not EVER easy. But I still show up at the page.
Just like any other spiritual practice, routine helps.
I still have fears -- am I wasting my time? what if no one likes it? what am I doing? -- but these days I trust that NO time is wasted, if I am doing what I love. What matters is that *I* like it. I'm doing exactly what I am meant to be doing.
That's faith.
Looking forward to everyone else's thoughts!
p.s. I love writing in the early mornings, before there's light, when no one else is awake. So, really, I write in the dark pretty much all the time. :)
Early morning writing is the best. The quiet before all the parts of the world have taken up little niches in my brain!
ReplyDeleteI like "we put them on the page without ever knowing where they will take us". It is always so. And it is ever amazing to me. And you are right - that takes faith. You almost never know what the ending will be until you get there.
Thank you for connecting faith with writing. I especially love the irony in your last line--the physical darkness and the creative-fear darkness which yields light, after all: what another enlightening post!
ReplyDeleteI love that writing is an act of faith. I never thought of writing in that way. I see how now though. We have faith that our writing will have meaning and help others. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWell, Irene, your faith has paid off, judging from the list of released and soon-to-be-released books by you this year! I can certainly relate to the act of faith side of writing, and love the E. L. Doctorow quote. So many things worth doing are accomplished one little step of faith at a time!
ReplyDeleteWriting is an act of faith. Some days I feel that strongly. Others I get focused on the flow and lose track of time. That feeling is the one that brings me back to the page over and over again. I love the Doctorow quote because that is pretty much how I drive these days.
ReplyDeleteYes to the quote, and yes to what you wrote!
ReplyDeleteYes to the quote, and yes to what you wrote!
ReplyDelete"Just like any other spiritual practice, routine helps." Great quote, thinking about how to make writing more routine in my life. "No time is wasted, if I am doing what I love," another great quote from this post.
ReplyDeletehummm why do I feel the pinch from this blog
ReplyDeleteWriting = faith. Yes! I love that Doctorow quote. It can apply to so many things about life. I like the idea of writing in the dark - less distractions! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWriting is like faith-an act of trusting. Words matter because they come from within. The process is real and drives our intention. I love this short and simple reflection, Irene. Thank you. Today, I wrote about process for Laura Shovan's prompt and Margaret's DigiLit Sunday.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Faith is integral to writing. Takes me back to your I Believe poem.
ReplyDelete