Perfectly Imperfect Expression

"You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it." – Octavia E. Butler

I can remember my mom getting a new car many years ago and suddenly I became aware of the same model of car every time we were out on the road… it was as if they were everywhere, lol. As a young girl, I still remember commenting on this to my mom and her response has always stayed with me. I obviously cannot recall her exact words, but I know it was essentially about “awareness”.

Something that was always there but had gone unnoticed by me because it was not present in my own life, and how that had changed because she now owned one and I was aware that such a car existed… it came into my sphere of influence.

I have always been of the opinion that we bring into our space what we focus a lot on and I don’t know if it is a similar thing in this instance, but lately I have become a lot more aware of natural writing popping up on social media around me. It’s as though I’m noticing more people simply writing from the heart, not overly concerned with structure or polish, but rather writing for the sake of expression.

My own approach to writing is quite simple – I just write. Yes, I “decide” what to write about, but I also tend to choose topics that resonate with me. I believe that when you write from a space of genuine interest or emotion, the words tend to flow more naturally. This approach, in my view, will always nurture a more successful end result… because it is real.

"I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." – Anne Frank

It is simply them… in the moment, sharing a slice of their life, mind or experiences. I don’t know if it’s just because that subject has been on my mind lately that I am suddenly starting to notice more of this kind of thing around me, or whether there is actually a “shift” in the way people are approaching their creativity or “what is on their mind”... but either way, and regardless… it is so wonderful to see!

Writing is such a personal journey and I know that sharing things with complete strangers can be overwhelming, as an artist and creative… I know this fear well… but there is a quote about art by Vincent Van Gogh which goes: “If you hear a voice within you say, ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” and I think the same can be said about written expression.

"Never write anything that does not give you great pleasure. Emotion is easily transferred from the writer to the reader." – Joseph Joubert

It is really encouraging to see people speaking openly about themselves, their lives, their thoughts and emotions and simply enjoying the process of doing so. Having fun with what they have to say and just letting it flow!

I don’t care about your typos or grammatical mistakes… Writing should never feel like an exclusive club where you need to be “some level” of writer in order to express yourself. Authenticity is the beauty. That, to my mind, is what people need more than ever these days… in fact, whether admitted or not, I think it’s what many people crave and seek out because so much of the world has just become plastic and shallow. A lot of the time, you don’t even know if the photos you’re looking at are real or if the writing was written by a human… so mistakes and imperfections actually have a place of value in this respect.

"Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic." – J.K. Rowling

Writing should be something you enjoy doing. An art in itself, you should be able to enjoy the process to a degree that you can actually lose time while doing it. If it feels like a chore, then I think you’re doing it wrong, within reason obviously… there are always exceptions.

Experience, in terms of written skill, is more likely to develop if you allow yourself the freedom to make mistakes, the enjoyment of just writing something you felt the desire to express, and you let go of all the rules and regulations. Stop dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s for just a moment – and be yourself.

I am starting to see more and more “perfectly imperfect” writing everywhere, and I think it is wonderful, because to me, that means people are starting to relax and open up in a way that will become a very special part of their personal journey. And this, in turn, inadvertently makes a positive impact on those around them.

"I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living." – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

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Thanks for reading!

Until next time...

Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx

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