I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage that ‘there’s a book in everyone’, and the fact that we all feel that we can write the next best seller. The literary life never seems to amaze me, nor the changes that modern technology offers that makes writing so inviting. The creative spirit in all of us to coddle inkwells, keyboards and note pads sometimes can be an irresistible urge. We’re hooked and often drunk with desire to allow our words to proliferate. ..but what does it take to be the progenitor of your own destiny? You do so by realizing the seeds within to propel ideas equal space with imaginative thought and reality. I was recently asked what motivates me in my creativity pertaining to writing based on the aforementioned. I’ve been asked this type of question before, and before answering, I had to stop and ponder for a moment as I wanted my questioner to really get the gist of my answer. Not wanting to appear caustic or frivolous, I proceeded to tell her that writing comes naturally and I truly don’t need to be motivated to do it. In all fairness though, I feel that there’s no reason why I cannot conjure any type of mental narrative that cannot be transposed to just writing them down. Explaining the writing life to someone who is not a writer can be daunting as you run the risk of not being understood. This itch to just tell it the way I see it came often and early. Just as it is today, I write for the moment. My yesterdays always found me with a pad and pen attached to my thoughts, that at a moments notice I found myself copiously writing with reckless abandon. That idiosyncrasy is still a part of my literal methodology.
What is it about life within the dimension of your existence that demand your growth? People will continually ask the aforementioned question in the face of awe, or just plain ignorance of facts. The aura that you may have communicated for them to ask in the first place had to have had some merit. Ironically, people variably ask, “Who are you?” Yes, they want to know what makes you tick, and why you write as you do! More often than not you may answer them by saying in no uncertain terms that “what you see is not all that I am” The product of my environment should not be the end result of my labor, or my penchant for writing. Rather, it IS because of the many seeds within me. There are seeds within all of us that beg to be cultivated. They are the seeds that yearn to be part of what you endeavor to be. Those seeds are waiting to germinate…they are seeds of hope, of opportunity, and of expectation…and it’s up to you to have them take root and define who you are.
As I matured I examined my outlook and purpose in finding the core of my being. Writing is mine and I claimed the desire for it early. I learned not to ignore plaintive callings inherently, I made it my business to look within. Inside of you is the image of God, and that reverent image is pointing toward ways and means to make existence meaningful, balanced, and purposeful. Should I share what I know and give others the blueprint for them to be what they can be? How then, should I give others this revelation? Absolutely! It truly is incumbent upon me to allow you to know that God has given all of us talent that should be used to uphold the Kingdom. As a writer, I do this with the essays I write, being an editor to those that want grammatical fortitude, and for the books I review. Grasp the seeds of literary longing as you endeavor to germinate and grow! And it should be done thusly:
§ By instilling levels of confidence, and being careful of what is digested. You will develop rationale for discernment, deductive reasoning, and the use of common sense to attain information
§ By stabilizing and realizing the importance sacrificial fortitude. Ask yourself – what are you willing to give up, let go, and let God!
§ By having the proper attitude. Your attitude determines your action and reactions. Stop being negative and think positive. Cultivate good habits. When were the last time you reached out to someone…offered an olive branch for reconciliation?
§ Step out on faith, take initiatives and eschew conservative mindsets. You MUST step out of comfort zones and go out on limbs; Besides, the fruit is at the end of those limbs!
Ah, the seeds that are within us! Even within their embryonic stage they are positioning to be heard, clamoring to be recognized and claimed for artistic value. I thought about how ideas and ideals are treated when I allow them to languish across the scope of my thought patterns. I water them, change the soil at times to assure the proper spacing for pragmatic view, and give them adequate amount of continuity for later airing. Rarely do I dismiss anything that may have potential to be expanded for an essay. I love the pleasure of coming up with titles that elicit extra-curricular thought. I try to make them catchy and have hooks that tend to play on words. I’m big on alliteration where words just roll of the tongue for intrinsic value to all that those titles should embody with this concept in mind. Most of what I write about comes purely from an individually opinionated outlook that harkens back to going deep for yet another view from what’s seen on the surface. I feel too, that whenever you can endeavor to allow people to see differing slants in your growth, it allows supposition to be more than just a moot point.
I will purport with relish that seeds within you can germinate at any time. With me, I want the writer’s life to resonate with a voice long on imagery and just short of a dare! I invite you to read more of the seeds that reside within you to give life to that urge to put it all on paper. Don’t worry about the mistakes you make, or even the pessimism that my not allow adrenalin to flow. Just write, and let editors hone your thoughts for proper literary growth. Germinate the seeds!
This is the piece for me. Thanks Alvin. Thats good advice with a great insight.
This is the piece for me. Thanks Alvin. That’s good advice with a great insight.