Lorna Faith

Clean Fiction Author

You are a Writer(Choose Yourself)

by

Sometimes it’s really difficult to name yourself as a creative person – a writer.

Most often this is a process of moving beyond self-doubt and embracing the fact that you are a writer.  This process involves resistance as well as trust.

Your art – writing your story – begins when we become willing to listen to the “still, small voice” that seems to grow louder. Lean in to that.

Choose Yourself. You are a Writer.

Easier said than done.

Yet, all of us can learn to notice ourselves. All of us can learn to be aware of what is pulling at us deep inside. All of us can begin to choose ourselves.

Read on to learn how you can choose yourself…

You are creative…

You are creative.

Some of us have been affirmed in our creativity – our writing – but many of us didn’t have people around us who believed in our creative abilities.

It helps to have people who walk with you and believe in  you – in your gifts and talents. But not everyone has that.

Like Rumpelstiltskin, we as writers many times have to name ourselves. “I am a writer.” To call ourselves that which the world around us has yet to accept.

Your identity is tied to an inner seed of knowing – what at times seems like an unrealistic certainty in the face of overwhelming odds.

As writers we doubt ourselves. Sometimes when we’re in the middle of an identity shift, we say with discouragement, I don’t know who I am. It’s true. We are sensing that there’s some parts of ourselves that haven’t yet been listened to. We are far larger and many times have more gifts inside of us than we realize.

Sometimes we’ve been studying and teach music(or something else) for over half our lives when we suddenly discover a passion for writing(that was me). Or the painter becomes a photographer, or the an actor becomes a writer.

It’s sneaks up on us, but in the end we realize this new gift we discover in ourselves – like writing – is another side of us.

Your dream of writing a book pulls you forward, and you are led inch by inch – step-by-step – into where your creativity is leading you.

As you write, many times you will listen to your intuition – writing the next paragraph and the next chapter, acting on faith. You might descend into doubt, but watch in amazement as your dreams carry you forward with a mind of their own.

The beautiful thing is that everyday, somewhere a writer is born.

The writer comes into the world with a calling: to share words and proclaim a message. To shake the earth and rattle the heavens if only she would share them.

Writing is a choice. It belongs to you and me. And we choose every single day to embrace our message – the story that’s inside of us.

Whether or not the world hears your story or whether or not you leave the impact you were born to make – is entirely up to you.

That’s a scary thought.

So, what’s our next step to really own it – to see ourselves as the writers we are?

Is it when you get an agent? Or sign a book contract? Or sell a bunch of copies? No it’s much simpler.

As Steven Pressfield says, “You are a writer, when you say you are.”

It’s that simple.

 

Do you struggle to call yourself a writer? Please do share your thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear from you 😉

 

 

 

3 Ways to Turn Comparison into Creativity

by

Comparison kills creativity. Stop comparing… and start creating.

Comparing ourselves to others can hit quickly and without warning.

Comparison can kill your creativity. It can make you feel small, insecure and uninspired. These negative feelings can stop you from writing at all.

Often comparison strikes when you’re innocently scanning through other blogs online and you find someone who wrote something similar to your idea. Or maybe they’ve written more books, or created more art or have a better designed blog and you feel like their stuff is perfect and that yours is not.

It’s these moments of comparison that you’re at a crossroads and you have to choose: Do I stay stuck in the negative comparison game or do I find a way to use those self-defeating beliefs as kindling for my creative fire?

*Photo Credit: Static Pexels

Find ways to Keep Creating Anyways…

Comparing who we are and what we’re doing, to others can feel like someone sucker punched you in the gut.

You feel the breath leave your body, and it feels like you’ve lost before you ever really had a chance to begin.

But’s it is critical that you keep writing anyways.  Find ways to get your writing out there, because your words matter. It matters to you and to your readers.

I’ve had many moments when I stuck my foot in the comparison pothole, trying desperately to yank my proverbial foot out so I could stand on my own again.

I’ve learned that the more we are aware of our feelings during these moments, the stronger we begin to stand as we know ourselves as humans and as writers.

As we develop our awareness, that’s when our words begin to have more impact and beauty.

Here are three ways to turn comparison into creativity:

1. Rethink Your Perspective

Instead of dwelling on what you lack in comparison to someone else, notice what it is that you admire in the other person.

Think of looking at what you appreciate about the other person as a reflection of the possibilities that are inside of you.

Write down what some of those possibilities could be.

Those specific details that you admire about the other person are a doorway of possibility for you. You just haven’t walked through the door yet.

Think of comparison as a way of shining a light on what is possible for you.

2. When Dissatisfied, Write Anyway

If you’re feeling unhappy with where you’re at with what you’ve written or done, write anyway.

Writing is a calling. So if when you don’t feel like it, write. Trust the process. Believe that as you continue to write it will help heal and guide you through these feelings.

Writing brings healing, joy and inspiration. It helps us think things through when we’re going through challenges.

What helps me, is when I write what Julia Cameron calls Morning Pages. I write three hand written pages every morning and just the act of writing all the thoughts in my head, clears my brain so I’m more focussed. Writing in this journal also brings clarity and a deeper awareness of who I am and reminds me of possibilities.

3. Put Your Work into the World

There’s something about writing that blogpost, writing those first few chapters of your fiction book or your non-fiction book and sharing your words with the world, that is empowering.

It might seem unhelpful and feel uncomfortable to share what you have to say when you’re caught in the comparison trap, but this giving away of your work, actually empowers you and helps you own your writing.

Shipping your work out into the world, builds confidence. Sharing your words gives you more clarity and direction.

Generosity has it’s own rewards: Breathes new life into your words; Increases motivation; and develops strategies of how to propel your work forward.

Remember comparison doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks. You can switch your perspective and turn your thinking around and help you move forward.

Keep writing through all the uncomfortable emotions that come up. Learn and grow through them.

Most of all, keep writing. Keep creating. Keep being the amazing you, you are.

Keep moving forward and you will feel more empowered, alive and creative.

Do you struggle at times with the comparison trap? I’d love to  hear your thoughts in the comments.

hugs, Lorna

*Photo Credit: Static Pexels

*Some of the above links are affiliate links and help to support this blog

Give Yourself Permission to be You

by

“If you show up regularly with generosity, everything else is gonna take care of itself.” Seth Godin

Trust. It’s such a little word that is packed with a lot of punch. It’s something that we all crave, but rarely give to others.

And yet trust is exactly what we are building with others when they read our words, listen to our podcasts or read our books. And when we have trust, we have people’s permission to get into their lives a little bit more.

In a world full of noise, the best way to get attention and keep it is by building trust.

stop waiting - lornafaith

When Waiting for Permission is a Bad Idea

Sometimes waiting for permission is the worst thing you could do.

I mean, we don’t ever want to force what we have to say on someone who doesn’t want to hear it. But the truth is:

No one is going to give you permission to be yourself.

If you want to be a writer, a artist, a musician or whatever your dream is, you must pick yourself.

You can’t wait for someone with all the qualifications to show up on your doorstep to validate you and tell you you’re good enough.

You must begin to let yourself be you.

Why do we wait for permission?

  • We’re anxious that what we’re about to do won’t work out.
  • We’re scared that we’ll fail.
  • We’re insecure of our own gifts and skills.
  • We don’t believe we have anything to offer.

Those are the reasons I waited for years to begin to write my first book. I thought I wasn’t good enough to be an author. So I was convinced I needed to wait for validation from an agent or one of the big publishing houses to tell me that I was a writer.

And honestly, it’s the same fear and nervousness I’m facing now as I’m finishing my next book. It’s scary stepping out into the unknown.

Fear is a very real thing. And it’s true that life throws us all kinds of curve balls that are scary. It’s also true that we’re not as good right now as we could be, but we are good enough to start.

So maybe it’s time that you got started on your dream.

Affirmation from others won’t get rid of fear…

Having someone tell you they love your work, is nice. But that isn’t enough to keep you going day after day. What you really need is the will to keep following your passion when no one cheers you on.

What you’re creating, isn’t easy work, but it’s good work. It hardly ever happens until you realize you have a gift to give to the world.[Tweet this]

All of us are missing out, until you decide to give yourself permission to be you.

This is scary as much as it is exciting. But only you can choose to move forward, tossing aside fear and overcoming the obstacles that stand in your way.

You will need to be brave.

The exciting thing is, that as you take those steps forward, you will gain a sense of momentum that will be hard to shake. And as you continue being brave, you’ll become stronger.

That is if you don’t quit.

Still…

Many of us are still waiting to be picked.

We are hoping someone will give us the keys to the magic kingdom, giving us the right to enter.

But that will never happen.

The truth is, no one can make you begin but you.

And that’s the scary part.

This calling we feel, to be ourselves rests solely on you and me and our willingness to show our true selves to ourselves and to others. And honestly, I can’t think of anything scarier than that.

Choose today to stop waiting for permission. Create the work you love and put it out into the world.

 

Have you been waiting for permission, to begin the work you love? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

 

How to Find Your Natural Writing Voice – Part 2

by

“One of the best ways to begin to recapture your own voice is to write autobiographically. The autobiographical voice demands that you write in none other than your own voice, more so than any other kind of writing… Write as if you were leaving an account of the incident to your kids…. that’s when your own true voice comes to life.” Les Edgerton Finding Your Voice: How to Put Personality in Your Writing

This post is Part 2 in a series. To read from the start go to Part 1.

For years I’ve been interested in how to find my voice. It pulled at me, even though I didn’t understand why. In the past few years of writing I’ve realized I wanted to find out more of who I was so I could express myself fully. 

When I started singing at the age of 5 years old, I sang with my sisters. This was the first time I learned how to give voice to the gift inside of me. The thing was, for me at the beginning, I tried to copy my sisters voices. My inner ear could somehow pick up the pitch, tone and style of their voices so I could match my sound to theirs. So for the next few years I was basically imitating the sounds around me.

It changed when I started private vocal lessons in Junior High School. I finally learned to sing in my own voice because I had to sing on my own.

In some ways, this is a little like writing. At first we learn from others, modelling our craft after writers we admire. But at some point we move away from copying to learning to express ourselves and our ideas in our own voice.

This all takes a little bit of practice.

Sometimes finding your natural voice means changing your writing style in a way that brings you closer to the true expression of you. 

People will be attracted to your writing when you are the ‘real you’.

writing rewrites

*Photo Credit By: Patricia Glogowski

When you find your voice, writing will feel almost effortless. Of course it will still take hard work. However, you will have a new comfort level and familiarity with your words that wasn’t possible before.

If for you writing feels like hard work, you might be writing for the wrong reasons. To impress someone, as a challenge because someone said you couldn’t, or any number of reasons. 

Writing for the wrong reason is poison for the creative soul.

As you get more comfortable with your voice, other people in turn will get more comfortable with you. The quality of your work will grow and so will your confidence. And people will follow.

As you put your message out there, remember: It’s not just what you have to say, but how you say it.

Your writing voice is that compelling style that will cause people to pay attention to every word you write. 

Practice Your Writing Style

Last week I wrote a story from when I was 4 years old as my exercise for that week. This week’s exercise is also from Les Edgerton’s book Finding Your Voice: How to Put Personality in Your Writing.

This time the exercise is to write a page describing a happy experience – but move ahead in time to when you were a teenager. Again, use words you would have used at that time in your life. 

So here’s my practice shot from when I was 15 years old.

“It’s just not fair, Mom!” I dried the dishes faster than usual. The sounds of the dishes banging into the cupboards matched the cranky tone of my voice. “He gets to fly all the way to South America and here I am stuck at home. Working.”

I knew I was being petty, but it sounded like he was having such a fun adventure and here I was doing the same old, same old.

“Lorna, your brother is helping to build houses for other people. For missions. That’s not easy work.” She looked at me, a frown hovering over her usually smiling face.

Well, when she put it that way… maybe doing my job of mowing lawns in our small town and then helping some in the garden at home wasn’t such a bad thing. I pictured him sweating and burning his skin as he and all the other volunteers built houses in Paraguay. Okay, come to think of it, maybe what I was doing wasn’t so bad after all.

“Sorry, Mom.” I grimaced. “I just want an adventure too.”

“I know you do. We’ll see, maybe you’ll have one yet.” Mom finished washing up the last dish. My dish drying hadn’t slowed any, because while I didn’t complain anymore on the outside, on the inside I still wished for more fun.

Little did I know that her words would be prophetic.

Summer was almost over when my brother called and said they would be landing in Tampa Bay Florida, but they needed some money. I don’t remember the conversation that went on between mom and dad, but after a few hours, mom talked to me.

“Lorna, do you want to fly to meet your brother?” I looked at both dad and mom at the supper table.

“Is this a joke?” The farthest I’d ever driven away from our small Northern Alberta farm, was Vancouver and Saskatchewan. The thought of flying all the way to Tampa Bay, Florida sounded a little like being handed the world on a silver platter. 

“No. We thought you could spend a week with your brother and his friend at Disney World. We’ll send you with travelers cheques so you can all have some fun while you’re there.” Mom’s big smile along with the twinkle I saw in Dad’s eyes, assured me that this was real.

“That’s so cool! I’ve never been on a plane before.” I got up dancing my way from the kitchen to the living room. “By myself?” Suddenly I stopped and turned around, realizing all that would happen here. That’s the part that scared the bejeebers out of me.

“No worries, there’s always someone at the airport who will help you get to where you’re going.” Mom assured me.

I swallowed the fear that still coated my throat.

By the time Mom and Dad drove me to the Edmonton International Airport, I had a lot more details, but I was also sweating with nervous energy. Here I was 15 years old and going by myself far away. My stomach was in knots by the time dad and mom had to go. I was assured all I had to do was wait for my flight number to be called. So I sat close enough so I was sure I would hear it. It took a long time, in fact so long that I dozed off. It was only by some miracle that I heard “Final Call for Flight #420 to Tampa Bay, Florida” that woke me up with a jolt. I quickly got my stuff together and headed to the where the flight attendant was waiting for the last people to board.

It felt weird being the only teenager by myself on the long flight. When I stepped out of the plane at the airport, I could hardly breathe. The air was so hot and humid. It took me awhile to adjust to this heat from the dry cool air of the North. The moisture felt good on my skin. I found my brother and his friend, waiting patiently in the airport terminal. They had been there all night. I gave my brother the travelers cheques and off we went  That whole week exploring Disney World and seeing all the new sights, was an amazing adventure. 

One I’d knew I’d remember for years.

So that was the voice I remembered from my teenage years… that and the constant restlessness I had back then…

Now it’s your turn. Practice this exercise at home. Really. You’ll be surprised at the voice that emerges on the page.

I hope you’ve been finding these exercises helpful. We’ll continue next week and work on the last exercise in this series.

Do you find your writing voice changes when you write from a younger voice to the writing voice you have today? Please join the conversation in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you.

hugs, Lorna

*Photo Credit By: Patricia Glogowski

*Some of the above links are affiliate links and help to support this blog

Malcare WordPress Security