How to be Inspired

I love it when I run across other writers who look at the art of writing in ways similar to how I do. Two women have come to my attention over the last few days – one is the author Mary Pipher and the other is a writer named Jennifer McGuiggan, the creator of The Word Cellar.

I picked up Mary Pipher's book Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World and have been enjoying reading her autobiographical account of what happened to her when success struck after the publication of her bestselling Reviving Ophelia. As I read her story I am aware that she doesn't seem to realize that there truly is an audience out there who understands what she is talking about. There is almost an apologetic vibe that comes with her acknowledgement of her success and how painful it was to manage. She is expecting everyone to say sarcastically – 'oh you poor baby, the lecture tour was so tough, must be nice.' And yet she writes her story anyway. It is in that compulsive need to put her story into words that I relate. It is painful, honest and soul searching. And I like her all the more for her honesty.

Writing is a process of surrender. I write because I must. There is a way that I make sense of my world and my experience through the written word. I can read Mary Pipher's work and feel a great deal of kinship for not only her work as a writer but the woman that she has been and is becoming. She inspires me to continue to use my writing as a tool of self awareness and growth.

The Word Cellar is a new find for me. Ms. McGuiggan's stories and blog caught my attention because she so obviously loves the act of writing. Reading through some of her entries, I found myself saying, Yes! That's it! You get it! Why do some of us write? What is this creative force that dwells within – sometimes quietly, sometimes painfully? How do we sabotage ourselves and what happens when we begin to reach for the dreams that sit so patiently waiting to be acknowledged? Jennifer's space is filled with the way that writing brings forth the richness of our lives – whether for publication or for our own sense of purpose. Check out what she says about the writing process here.

Inspiration is never something that I take for granted. I feel a great deal of gratitude this week for both of these writers because they have helped me hold on to my own truth: I love to write.