My pen lays dormant. Unfettered from the demands of work; yet cocooned for an unknown becoming.
In retirement, days stretch long and lazy. I can now do what my heart desires, and a return to writing is one of those desires. Yet, my former practice of daily writing has reduced to an occasional burst of inspirational prose.
So, how do I return to what I once loved?
One way is to remember how writing has impacted my life over the years:
- Writing is a tool gleaned from my years in 12-Step Recovery that chisels away my denial.
- Writing helps me to make amends, process feelings, and discover new directions.
- Writing is a lifeline to sanity used to practice the 12 Steps in everyday living.
- Writing helps me in my ongoing recovery from co-dependency.
- Writing is a practice that blossomed into a creative eclectic approach to artistry, resulting in my book, Refrain from the Identical: Insights and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics.
As I return to writing, I remember that I write first and fore mostly for myself because writing is a tool for healthy self-care: a way to process pain, ponder disappointment, analyze anger, and release resentment.
Writing helps the mind dump clutter so creativity can flow; hidden gems of insight and purpose glisten in streams unmuddied by worry and angst.
Writing then becomes a gift for others. Whether encouraging words or captivating stories, the writer gives freely from a heart full of inspiration.
Although social media has ushered in unprecedented ways to share content (15-second TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels), there are those of us still longing to finger soft pages. Those that curl up under cozy comforters with hot cocoa in hand and read for hours on end. Those whose souls find solace from reading the experiences of others with whom they can relate.
I’m returning to writing by beginning a book by Julia Cameron, It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond. Julia was the author who launched my passion for the craft when I read The Right to Write many years ago. Her practice of “Morning Pages” formed a daily connection between me and writing that resulted in several manuscripts yet to find their way into books.
I’m also giving my resolution feet and hands by committing to a writing retreat with my daughter, an aspiring novelist whose parenting of three young children makes writing a luxury.
Together we will hide away for a couple of days of uninterrupted writing bliss like we did years ago: A Writing Retreat.
Or the time we escaped to the Eagles’s Nest in Heavenly Valley Lake Tahoe: A Writer’s Break.
I will endeavor to post regular updates as I pursue this former first love in 2022. Won’t you join me? I’d love to read your comments about writing commitments for 2022.
JoDee Luna Art 