James Baldwin

Encouragement Pages-11/22/2019-The Wisdom Of James Arthur Baldwin (3)

Every writer has their own niche, a lens by and through which they see and process the world.

This is can be a non-fiction lens, fiction, satire, prose or poetry.

Your lens is your lens!

Don’t get caught up in trying to mimic someone else’s take, or voice. Develop your own. This is what makes your voice–your lens–powerful. This is what will make your work distinct!

Don’t–Never fear your lens. Only adjust it.

As any good teacher will tell you: Eyes on your own paper, do your own work.

Get to it!

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-11/20/2019-The Wisdom Of James Arthur Baldwin (2)

James Baldwin remind writers they have a responsibility to do the work of writing, no matter what the world around you thinks or will say.

The world around you will always have something to say! Ignore it.

Sometimes in order to write, write what you want, and write well, you have to ignore the chatter.

Ignore the chatter. Get to your work.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-11/18/2019-The Wisdom Of James Arthur Baldwin (1)

I am a fan of James Baldwin. And adamant follower of his gift, life and teachings. From that well of wealthy knowledge, I remind you as a writer, just as Baldwin would:

Do you work.

Your writing is your work. It is your job as a waking recorder of the world, to report what you see.

Do it crying, flinching or screaming. But do it.

That is your job…and no one can do it for you.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages-11/06/2019

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