I stole the title for this from one of my favourite authors. Dr. Martin Shaw.
While watching a fascinating video/podcast by Pints With Aquinas, Shaw recounted the day his book, Liturgies of the Wild became a New York Times Bestseller. He was traveling in a taxi, listening to the driver, Jamal, share about his own desire to write and all the while Shaw's phone was pinging and ringing away in a pocket.
After several missed calls, Martin interrupted the driver to check his phone and discovered he'd just become a New York Times Bestseller. And ever generous, Shaw turned to the creative driving him and shared the moment with the man.
They pulled to the side of the road to celebrate, embracing and then Shaw said, "You know, this is as strong a meaning for you as it is for me. You're a born teacher, I just experienced this in the cab. Take courage and write."
I'd been sitting in my wee flat, watching this in the comfort of my pjs and suddenly, I knew those words were for me too. Take courage and write.
How often have I said those words to aspiring and struggling writers, how often have I tried to whisper them over myself, year after year. Watching the days slip by and wondering if I even know how to string a simple sentence together. I know Jamal and I are far from being the only ones who struggle.
Why is doubt so invited into the life of a creative?
And what are the tools to fight it and take the above advice?
This year, along with discovering Martin Shaw, I've also found the poet Malcom Guite, who's epic ballad retelling of the Arthurian Myth has me dancing through the woods. Both authors, who also happen to be friends, have expressed in several interviews and speeches that they try to go for several walks a day. From memory, I believe Guite said he tries to go three times a day.
I love the idea but the practicality of it seems like it would be more of a distraction. I don't know if I'm ADHD or not but I've definitely experienced hyperfocus moments where I forget to eat or do anything because the words are flowing. So how does one interrupt those moments for a walk?
But even a quick study on managing an ADHD lifestyle encourages physical exercise as a way to help focus. In fact, there are many health benefits for exercise - lowering the risk of heart disease, depression, cancer and dementia to name a few.*
This is probably not new information to many of us, but it's a good reminder.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
A few years ago, I was in the depths of a dark night of the soul. I'd finally found enough energy to sit and process the pain with the Lord. I lit a candle, turned on some ambient music and settled down at my writing borough with my bible and journal, ready to deal with the pain.
Imagine my surprise when God invited me to take a walk instead.
I thought maybe it was just me, so I shuffled in my seat and closed my eyes to pray. And again, I heard the sweet invitation to message a friend and go for a walk. With a bit of irritation, I messaged the friend, and she responded within moments. I met her outside minutes later.
A blue canopy met us on that glorious day in early June. We walked down the road, stopping to literally smell the flowers and admire the vibrant colours of each blossom. What normally takes about three minutes, took us at least 10. We were so captivated by the fresh life all around us.
A little further on, the path wound down a country lane, incubated by briar roses and thorns. Winnie the Pooh sized bumblebees buzzed from delicate petal to petal. Their little sound like the gentle bassline of some epic song. Majestic birds of prey, red kites, circled the nearby fields, their golden bellies shimmering in the light of the sun and their calls echoing the song that hummed around us.
We even managed to spy a tiny light green butterfly perched amongst the leaves of the briar.
Both of us had things we wanted to process but we kept getting interrupted by the glory of creation around us.
And then it happened. I'd begun to share some of my pain when a quick rustling of leaves caught our attention. Speech stopped and a flash of orange emerged from the wall of shrubbery. It bounced once on the path in front of us before disappearing in the bush opposite.
A fox cub.
We froze in delight.
Our spirits rising with such a gift.
As we continued down the path, marveling, it felt like God was suddenly there, soaring around us like Peter Pan, pointing out the things He'd made and delighting in how much we took joy from His handiwork.
At the base of the path lays a thin green river. Snow-white swans and ducks of every shade swam near the bridge where we stood, and again, we lost ourselves in the wonder and mystery of it all. Drops of water turning into diamonds and pearls as they cascaded down the birds' necks and backs. In the nearby field, a flock of geese were followed around by puffs of grey, their young taking first steps in a new world. And still further on, we encountered several fluffles of rabbits, a small herd of horses and cows, and so much more.
We glowed and delighted in each encounter.
Along this lower path, an older gentleman came towards us, a pair of binoculars around his weathered neck. I knew he was out birding, and so asked, "Seen anything good?"
With each wonder my friend and I had seen, I expected him to tell us, eyes bright with joy, that he'd seen incredible things. So my whole body jerked when he said in a gruff tone, "No, nothing."
I felt sad for the man. How could he miss all the miracles around us?!
After a few pleasantries, we carried on and entered a grove of trees. These ancient things towered over us, cutting off the blue expanse above. Their green leaves spreading out and filling our lungs with newness. One tree in particular, captured my attention. "Lord, I'm that tree." A vine had hardened around the trunk, coiling and constricting it, deforming the bark in places and killing some of the higher branches.
"Look at the foot of the tree," came the reply.
I did and inwardly gasped.
"This is why I wanted to walk with you," came His gentle voice, "Where you've been damaged and harmed, I have cut it off at the root. It has been removed, now comes the work of untangling."
The hope and promise in this for my future has stayed with me years later. To think, I wouldn't have this core memory if I'd just stayed in my flat, sitting at my desk.
And I use it here now as a reminder that when doubt comes knocking at your door, dear writer, go for a walk. Let the Original Storyteller, the Creator, show you some of His handiwork, and then let him whisper the advice above.
Take courage and write.
*https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/
Fox photo by Thomas Wilken on Pixabay.
When she's not teaching, writing or shooting films, she spends her days encouraging aspiring and practicing creatives to keep chasing their dreams. In recent years many a spare moment has been spent tucked away in a small Hertfordshire pottery, creating whimsical mugs, trinkets and earrings.
