I want you to know that you control your talent.
I want you to know that no one can tell you want to write.
I want you to know that what you write, what you choose not to write, is completely up to you.
I want you to know that what you desire to create, you can.
You have your freedom.
Use it.
With Love & Ink,
JBHarris
Claim your space.
This is what writers do, and sometimes we do it better than anyone else. As a writer you have the power available to you to claim space even when you are no longer in your mortal body to speak them yourself.
You see, James Baldwin was right. Writers have work to do. Sometimes this work is thankless, hard and completely overwhelming. But, you are a writer. You can do it–you can find the rhythm in it chaos of letters, thoughts and research.
Snatch the words.
Bend the pages.
With Love & Ink,
JBHarris
Writing is hard. Writing is real hard. I wish that I could express to you–truly!–how hard this. Being able to pull something out of the nebulous creative ether and share that to other people?
It’s hard.
But what I want you to know something, and I will try my best not to sound conceited.
The cool thing about being a writer, is that not everyone can do it.
The hard thing about being a writer, is that not everyone can do it.
The impossible thing about being a writer, is that no everyone can do it.
For every work that you create, there will be a doubt. No matter how quick, not matter how long, no matter how infrequent. The doubt will be there. Almost like a too tight safety belt.
But, there is something to this. What I want you to do when doubt crops up is embrace it, not hold it. This is something that you will learn with time, and as you get comfortable writing.
Embrace the doubt= you realize doubt is there.
Not hold it= doubt will always be a weight, and it is not to be entertained long.
That is the thing about writing. You have to be able to believe you can do it, before you can ever do it. It is the doubt that allows you to still look at a work with some degree of respect–and realize that every piece, every work in project is your responsibility. To care for. And complete.Being a creative has a certain weight and heft to it. Some part of that creative is, does require a radical belief in self.
With that ability, do one thing for me: be grateful.
There are those of us along with journey to writing or creativity that hold on to doubt. Who forget that writing is not as natural for others as it is to us. Or, they allow the doubts of others to be projected on their own talents and cease to create anything. Or anything else.
But gratitude, that is the counterweight to doubting while creating. Your gratitude will allow and plow room towards what it is you want to create. Honor your talent. Honor your commitment.
Putting off the writing never makes it easier.
Taking your creativity for granted only makes you ungrateful.
An ungrateful writer is one most unpleasant to be around. Besides, there is nothing like a good bout of Writer’s Block to make one humble. Trust me.
James Baldwin reminds writers, poets and other creative people to ‘do you work.’ The elephant in the room is that he never says how.
I believe that he didn’t want to give us [as writers] a map because we all have a different job–a different assignment.
The trick is to find out what that assignment, that mission is–and be daring enough to do it.
What part of writing are you drawn to?
Are you rapt by poetry and prose or is it non-fiction? Do you want to do plays and film or essays?
There is more than enough work to do, more than enough languages to do it. But, you must do the work, loves. You must do the work.
With Love & Ink,
JBHarris
There are so many people that go through this life and never leave a record. Don’t be one of those people.
If you call yourself a writer, part of that job is to leave record of thought or moments.
Don’t fear that title. Don’t fear that responsibility. Don’t fear the words or what you will make them say.
You can do it.
With Love & Ink,
JBHarris
