The Writing Hasn't Stopped

 

  

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

~ Maya Angelou

"For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization 

that he has come upon the right word."

~ Catherine Drinker Bowen

 

So it's Saturday afternoon, and once again I find myself quickly putting words on a screen to get a blog posted before the end of the week. Frustrated with myself for yet again leaving it until the last minute. Knowing that writing is not only something I enjoy doing, but that it helps me cope and thrive in life. It gives me a space to process my thoughts and feelings; to figure out what I want to do next. Whether there is some big personal growth piece I'm trying to work out; a work/career/business step I'm trying to take; or a passing social commentary-type thought that caught my attention.

So why the procrastination over the past few weeks? Why the frantic Friday night or Saturday morning writing sessions?

It's true that the past few weeks have been busier in different ways. It's true that my focus has been divided between business plans put in action, a new relationship, on-going family health struggles, and typical every-day life. Exciting adventures, worrisome situations, and regular routines that take time and energy – both physical and emotional – and sometimes means there is less to give to processing and writing.

But what is also true is that sometimes processing and writing brings up thoughts and feelings that I may not be ready to face. Or at least may not be ready to share openly. In part because sharing openly becomes slightly more difficult when the personal growth pieces more closely involve other people. In part because sharing openly sometimes brings a certain accountability to follow those thoughts and feelings through with action.

Yet when I look through my writings I find at least three pieces that have been started over the last month or so. None of which feel complete enough to share openly today. All of which tell me that the writing hasn't stopped.

The struggle to complete them and to share them means they are not finished. I am still in the middle of processing, and therefore writing. Which means I am still in the middle of coping and thriving in my life.

The writing hasn't stopped. Procrastination isn't taking over. The process is just shifting a little. And as long as I keep coming back to the words on the screen – whether on a Tuesday leaving time to edit, or on a Saturday in a rush to publish – I will eventually process my way through this piece and open up space to move on to the next one.