100 Day Creative Challenge 71: Share
Writers are like magpies. We collect ideas, Pinterest pictures, articles, photos, quotes, books.
Writers also share. Writers love to talk about ideas, tell stories, help each other. We form writing groups, work with critique partners, attend conferences and retreats and consult with colleagues.
Writing is a solitary pursuit, so we need to build community around our work.
In the last ten years I’ve spent a lot of time making friends. The journey has taken me to:
- Amanda who who helped me believe I was a writer before I was.
- Writers conferences around Australia and national writers’ groups with like-minded people.
- Oxford University Summer School.
- Tuscany.
- The Inspire Collective.
- A master class with the effervescent Margie Lawson
I’ve gathered an eclectic group of people — a collective of friends around the world — who share the same passion, calling and zest for life.
There are people I’ve never met, and friends, who’ve shared their knowledge through books.
- Stephen King’s On Writing.
- Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.
- Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic.
- Erwin McManus’s The Artisan Soul
- Amanda Viviers’s Capture: 30 days of inspiration
I could go on and on.
Then there’s the motivation to share when we write. We share the stories and deep inner thoughts that cry out to be shared.
Sharing our creativity with others is a gift—for us and for others. Things we keep to ourselves, guard, close off or withhold lose power.
Writing means sharing. It’s part of the human condition to want to share things – thoughts, ideas, opinions. Paulo Coelho
Whether we are published or not, make money or nothing, receive accolades and awards or criticism, it matters that we create and share in community. Writers are compelled to share then share thoughts, ideas, opinions, encouragement, critiques, readership, friendship, support, acknowledgement, kindness, collegial concern, prayers, love through their writing and through relationship.
This is the creative life at its best — a collective of creative artisans who collaborate in community. It’s a spiritual thing too. God loves a cheerful giver. If we are blessed with talent and cheerfully share what we have I believe our work will be more meaningful.
We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community…Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own. Cesar Chavez
