An Invitation for You

Daily Walks

In our real stories and conversations we meet up with another and create a third world together-- a third place in which we both arrive. A place we have both been invited to.  I like the idea that we aren't here to reach enlightenment or perfect ourselves; we are here to create worlds, together. 

None of us arrived fully formed into this world. None of us arrived fully formed as a writer. Our lives are a path of exploration and discovery. We have to be careful not to let religion, other's ideas, institutions or dogma stop us from our explorations. We have to be willing to ask the questions that open our lives up. Too many of us become trapped in our competent lives -- .  We may be doing okay but we have given up that curiosity that can rattle us to our core. Or we ignore that inner rattling.

Being curious is an invitation to discover ourselves newly, everyday. 

During this time of social isolation and dealing with some new realities we can pay attention to what's calling us, what could break us open now to what's next, to what's possible? To acknowledge that we are in a new place in our lives -- encourages us to be newly curious about what wants our attention. Where are we and where do we want to go from here? Who are we now? In a written story -- how can you approach the narrative newly?

What exactly is your life's journey (now) and, where are you on this journey of yours? What do you have to let go of in order to fully arrive here?  How can we approach our words, our poems, our conversations not fully formed?  

Curiosity is a superpower. Our desire to understand more or consider how this scene or verse can unfold has us creating new worlds on and off the page. 

Seeing something (or someone) newly is a superpower. Being curious and courageous invites us to step into an old place, in a new way. As writers I encourage us to let our writing prompts and writing take us where they will -- don't force anything and don't rewrite the same page over and over. (Feeling too competent can often have us live the same day over and over without curiosity or disruption). Paradoxically, seeking perfection can have us rewriting and reliving the same line over and over again as well. We can hold the questions: Where have I arrived in my writing? Where is my writing wanting to take me?  . . .   How can I approach my words and world newly?  . . . 

This social distancing and pandemic is changing us. We are finding different ways to be in conversation with ourselves and the world around us.  We are opening up to new words and worlds. If we don't let this change us, we will find ourselves lost in our new arrivals.  We must let go of the old story in order to write and live the new ones. We might try to force the old into the new because we are too competent in our lives and find no need to be newly formed. 

How can we invite and allow for a new world? (I ask myself this -- which of course brings more uncertainty but also opens me up to a bigger curiosity).  What is possible here?  What is it I truly want?

We can ask ourselves the question of what is the invitation here? Who and what are we inviting in? In our writing, what are we invited to, as we write? What is the invitation to your future readers? What third world will we create as we meet up (on and off the page)? 
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I invite you to explore these questions in your own way. To meet this place of social distancing and uncertainty half-way with that superpower of curiosity and "newly seeing." 

JOIN ME FOR my next FREE Writing Retreat Day in the collective privacy of your home and mine. Friday May 8th from 10:00 am till 4:00 pm.  We will meet up to write, gather and meet for a ZOOM lunch, write some more and then gather together for a sharing circle at 3:00.  Limited to 10.   I do have a theme! And I will send out writing prompts, but you can just use the day to write on your projects.  The theme is: Vulnerability and Courage through Writing.