When Words Wane
Before you ask, yes - I love alliteration.
And I'm pretty sure this is the face I make when I'm questioning what has been asked of me, and I'm trying to find the right words to say.
I'm working on developing the habit of writing consistently. For me, that means publishing one new blog post each week for my personal site. That's in addition to any social media writing or contributions to other publications or websites. I've also got a few book ideas floating around, with one starting to take shape very nicely. Sometimes, you can't stop the current of words flowing from your mind to the keyboard. Sometimes, you're wondering where the words went, which is where I find myself this morning. What do you write when you don't know what to write? It might seem counter-intuitive to write when the words aren't flowing, but that's exactly what I need to do. It doesn't have to be profound or super witty. I don't have to have a clear idea of what to write. I definitely don't need to edit it as I go. I simply need to set time aside every day and let some words flow. Get out of my head about it, and get out of my own way. I just need to write. You've asked me to write, Lord. Send some words my way.
There's an exercise I stumbled across that I thought I'd give a try. First step is to take a minute and write down values that are important to me.
Faithfulness. Responsibility. Integrity. Honesty. Authenticity. Humility.
Next, I take ten minutes to write anything I feel like writing on just one of them.
Let's go in alphabetical order and start with authenticity. It seems that most people are valuing authenticity pretty highly these days. I love for people to be honest and real with me, and I love to share authentically with others too. If all I hear is the good stuff painted in the best light, it makes it very difficult for me to bare my heart and soul with that person. Not to say that people sharing good things in a positive way is dishonest. It may be a "real" I have difficulty relating to at times, but it could very well be that person's authenticity. I think we get that word a little mixed up sometimes. A person is only being "authentic" if they're being rude and harsh by "keeping it real" and "telling it like it is" whenever they have something to say. Sure, that's being authentic for some. But authentic can also be taking a moment to gather one's thoughts, take a deep breath, and phrase something in a way that would not hurt someone's feelings. That can be real too. Authentic can and should look all sorts of ways.
That's it.
I guess there were some words in there after all.
How about you? If you're a writer, what do you do when the words are hard to find? Whether you're a writer or not, what are your thoughts on authenticity?