Your Roadmap to Greatness

It’s Right to Write…

Julia Cameron & Me at the NY Open Center

It's definitely right to write.  I've never questioned that.  But as with everything in life, I need to remember to remember that.  And sometimes just telling myself to write isn't quite enough.  Sometimes I just need to hear it from someone else.

On Saturday, I attended a workshop at the NY Open Center called The Right to Write  taught by Julia Cameron, who also has a book of the same title.  In her workshop and in her book, Julia Cameron gives tips & techniques to help writers unlock and unblock their creativity that will improve the writing process.  The ideas she offers are fairly simple, yet incredibly helpful…that is, if you commit to making it all habit & routine in your writing life.  

I first heard about Julia Cameron in the '90s, when someone introduced me to one of her most well-known books The Artist's Way, where she offers a spritiual path to creativity.  Since then, I've always been fascinated by "Morning Pages", one of the most critical tools she stresses a writer should stick with EveryDay.  The challenge for me over the years though has been to actually write them EveryDay.  Sometimes I'll go through periods of writing consistently for weeks at a time.  Other times months will pass before I put pen to paper again.  But no matter what, Every Single Day as I rise in the morning, I think about those Morning Pages.  It's not that I actually ever forget to do them.  I just ignore the call.  I let it go to voicemail.  And then I beat myself up about it.

On Saturday, Julia reminded me how right it feels to write.  And that, yes, it is my right to write!  And very importantly, she reminded me of something I really needed to hear — that it doesn't have to be perfect.  When I asked her how she stays disciplined and consistent with her craft, she said "I don't do it perfectly, but I do it."

Yeah, even she doesn't do it perfectly.  How often I forget that no one can.  How often I forget that I just need to do it anyway.  Thank you, Julia.  I will remember to remember that.