writing the deeply personal
author visit and book giveaway
“I no longer wanted my silence to be the glue that held everything together.
It was time for things to fall apart.”
— Diamonde Williamson, author of Deeply Personal: Notes from Facing My Mother Wound, Diamonde Williamson
Hi friends,
In my last post, I talked about some common forms of creative resistance like procrastination, perfectionism, managing distractions, negative self-talk, and a whole list of internal and external factors that get in the way of our creative callings.
Many of us have stories we long to tell, but if you struggle with resistance like this, no amount of technical instruction about how to write will help you get words on the page.
There’s emotional work that needs to be done.
Why do we so often avoid the self-discovery that our creative callings are leading us to? I’ve noticed a few common reasons:
You know you will uncover hidden truths, beliefs, needs, dreams, and desires that you’re scared to face.
You don’t want to acknowledge habits and people that aren’t serving you but you’re attached to.
You are so zoomed into your problems and circumstances that you don’t realize how different everything could look if you zoom out.
You are used to looking outward for acceptance instead of inward for guidance.
You don’t trust yourself because you think past mistakes are an indication of future behavior.
You think it’s weak or self-absorbed to spend time reflecting on yourself and your needs.
You think you will become sad, depressed, afraid, or consumed with negative emotions. You’re afraid you will find things you don’t like about yourself.
You don’t think you have the time right now and that you’ll get around to it at a later date (which never comes).
You’re on autopilot and under the trance of distractions.
You’re overcommitted with too many balls in the air and not enough boundaries.
You don’t know how or where to start.
Our creative callings are clues to our potential. Our potential to express, heal, grow, manifest, and become. The answers and the healing are hidden in the work.
Writing Story Work is a creative calling that I carried around for almost a decade. Finishing it and having it published is a tangible result that I will be proud of, but what can’t be packaged or quantified is the self-discovery it took to move through my resistance and embody the truth-telling and expression that I denied myself for so long. In writing it, I broke silences and faced truths that I’d desperately avoided for years.
In her book, Deeply Personal: Notes from Facing My Mother Wound, Diamonde Williamson shares the intimate journey of breaking her own silences.
author visit and book giveaway
Reading Deeply Personal, I was underlining and dog-earing pages all the way through. Each page reminded me of the universality of our stories, and how we have the power to unlock truths in each other by unlocking our own.
From the back of the book:
Early on, I learned that in order to survive, and in order to have a relationship with my mother, I’d have to live separate from the truth about our story.
But I’ve resigned from that way of living.
This book is my truth.
This book is my freedom.
This book is deeply personal.
Deeply personal is a series of memoiric notes that document one of the most painful, transformational and honest times in my life: the moment I faced my mother wound.
This Saturday at 12 pm et, I will be in conversation with Diamonde on Zoom and we will be chatting about her creative background and process, as well as the role of writing in her healing journey, navigating vulnerability, and more. You can enter to win a copy of Deeply Personal by leaving a comment on this post by Friday night, December 13. The winner will be notified on Saturday.
the creative courage writing intensive - early bird registration closes December 14
Self-discovery plays an integral role in moving through creative resistance, finding strength in vulnerability, and reclaiming our voices and stories.
But many of us leave the emotional and energetic dynamics of self-discovery out of our practical plans. We set goals with our minds and not our hearts, and then we wonder why we run out of steam. We become fixated on results, and overlook the wins that live in the process. We get frustrated with ourselves when we feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unfocused and our creative callings get pushed to the side.
I’m currently enrolling for the next cohort of my foundational course, The Creative Courage Writing Intensive. Early Bird registration closes on Saturday, December 14.
This workshop is ideal for those who value creative expression, but struggle with resistance, uncertainty, consistency, and motivation. During the course of the workshop, writers work on a personal narrative project, learn a 4-step process for developing ideas and bringing them to life, and develop a unique arsenal of techniques, exercises, and habits that support creative resilience and expansion.
You can learn more here.
also coming soon:
In addition to our visit with Diamonde on Saturday, we have our monthly Inner Story Monthly Storytelling Session (open house)
On Saturday, December 14 from 10 am - 12 pm, our Inner Story monthly session will be an open house and you are invited to join us. You can attend to listen and engage in discussion, or you are also welcome to share a short piece of writing (500 words or less) with the group. I created a writing guide for this session that includes the story work exercises from the first four storyteller types: self-healer, survivor, gamechanger, and teacher, and I have temporarily removed the paywall from these posts. You can register here.
Whether you join us or not, I encourage you to make a copy of the guide and use it as a self-study resource to enrich your writing practice.
That’s all I got for now. Thank you for being here. ♥
I want to read Deeply Personal now. Would love to win a copy.
Looking forward to listening in on your conversation on Saturday.