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The Writing Life

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Writing and life. The two are not mutually exclusive. If you are a writer–one who enjoys writing–writing is a part of your life. Not something that exists outside of it. Many things you do, see, feel, and experience will shape your writing. Furthermore, many things we write will shape our lives.

Writing is Who I Am

For me, personally, writing helps me organize my thoughts. It helps me process life. It allows me to savor moments and share reality with people who think they are alone in motherhood. Writing teaches me lessons just as other activities in life do. Writing keeps my mind working just as life keeps my hands working.

Writing is part of life for me.

It’s as much a part of me as using my hands to do laundry and make meals. It’s as in ingrained in me as talking (just not as often). Writing is a way of life.

I loved Tricia’s post yesterday about the myth of balance. Balance isn’t exactly what we think it is. It’s not about spending so much time on this, and the same amount of time on that. Like anything else in life, every thing has it’s place. Meals have their place. Routines have their place. Entertainment and fun have their place.

So it is with writing.  Writing has its place. Writing happens as life happens. It begins with some scribbled out notes scratched on paper throughout the day. It includes a pause in the day to make those notes into ideas and expressions. After dinner those ideas may need a bit of editing and tweaking. Maybe something sparked further inspiration to reword or add more description.

Once the children are in bed, writing continues. While some choose to spend their time watching their favorite television shows (which is perfectly fine!), I choose to write. I don’t have any favorite television shows because I’m not a big fan of television. I have favorite movies that I enjoy with my family. But daily TV watching just isn’t something we do. Not because of some “super spiritual” reason. Simply because we have interests in other areas. I choose to spend my time writing. When I’m not writing, I’m reading.

I have made writing a part of my life because it’s in part how God designed me. That doesn’t mean it won’t have the potential to consume. Anything has that potential. God designed us to eat, but food can still consume us. God designed us to rest, but we can rest too much and become lazy.

It’s not necessarily about balance, but about prioritizing. Some days laundry and cleaning out your kids’ room takes priority while other days a writing deadline might be looming and you order Chinese take-out. Just as some days I need a break from life; from routines and demands and cleaning. Some days, I need a break from writing; from thinking and creating and editing. It’s the ebb and flow of life.

Writing isn’t just something I do; it’s who I am. 

I’m a child of God; I’m a wife, and mother, and keeper of my home. I’m a writer.

 

Comments

  1. Loved this! In most of our free time, my husband and I can be found reading and writing as well! I’m also learning how to prioritize writing amid my life demands so that it does remain a vital part of my life, and not just a hobby that only gets done if there is free time. 🙂

      • Writing for me is not a hobby either, but a calling. I write before anyone wakes up in the morning and then I spend the day polishing it off.

  2. Truth! A lot of people have been down on the word balance, but I think sometimes it is just nuances and perception. I do strive for moderation and balance in life. All around-not balancing equal time and effort on everything all the time. I just don’t want to be consumed by one thing 24/7 for the rest of my life. Writing is my life, but so if being a wife, a mother, a servant of Christ.

  3. YES, that is me…I am a writer. Thanks for helping to not feel so overwhelmed by ALL that I NEED to do when all I want to do is be a great mom and WRITE! I find myself wishing I had more time to write and then when I DO write instead of laundry…I feel so guilty. How do you overcome that completely…or do we?
    Blessings,
    Shan
    http://www.The-How-to-Guru.com

    • I think part of it is simply embracing the best of both and the reality of both. Obviously we cannot consistently and constantly neglect other things to write. But you do some writing and you do some laundry. You read to your kids (for example), you do a little more writing. It’s all woven inside your day.

      • That helps Christin! I also just read Tricia’s post about the B-word. lol

        One thing that has just come to mind is that the enemy is loving that I have been anxious about this. Today is the day to be set free from the nonsense…weave writing into my day like you said.
        So simple, yet so profound. THANKS
        Shan
        http://www.The-How-to-Guru.com

  4. So true, Christin. And so well articulated. Thank you for the reminder!

  5. You have nailed it, Christin. Writing is an integral part of who we are, and I have never really looked at it that way. I still remember years ago trying to write a long piece on Facebook, and FB cutting it off waaaaay before I was done. My daughter said, “Mom, you need to start a blog to write about stuff instead of trying to fit it into FB.” 🙂

  6. Fantastic! I think I need to let myself become more of a writer. I have thoughts, ideas, stories swirling around my head, but I never let them out on paper because I tell myself “I am not a writer.” Time to keep the notebook a little closer and just see if anything comes of it!

  7. SUCH a wonderful post, with such perfect timing! I’m just coming to terms with the fact that although I’m not a paid, published writer, I *am* a writer, because, as you say, that is just part of who I am. Someday I hope to be a paid, published writer, but even if that never happens, I’m still a writer! It is just part of life, and I’m thankful for that. I’m actually in the middle of a post on how and why I blog…I’m planning to link back to this post, if that’s okay. Thanks for sharing this!

  9. Christin, I read this the day it published but have been so busy I didn’t get an opportunity to comment. I really enjoyed this and I can completely relate. I feel so much like writing is a part of who I am, too. As if God’s hands gently filled my soul with this ember of writing passion that one day, in His perfect timing, exploded into a wild flame that burns so strong nothing can extinguish it. It’s me. I’m a writer. God made me that way. 🙂

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