This site by Nona King is licensed, in its entirety, under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Freedom for Thought | CWBC
_______________________________________________
The word Freedom means different things to people depending on their history, their community and culture, and their perspective on life and living. It could mean independence from someone or some job or responsibility. Or it could encompass the simple idea of free will to complete your desire, to change the path of your life’s story. There are so many possibilities to the word, and its meaning is so broad that I procrastinated on writing my blog until last evening.
Until my drive home from work.
I ruminated on the reasons why my writing production had fallen so drastically. At first the time to reflect and consider seemed a God-send. But after awhile even that motivation molded into a listless bit of nothing. Oh, I continue to occasionally think about this scene, or that twist, or this possible re-hash of the beginning, but the moment I arrive at home all thought or desire of actually working on my projects has vanished.
So, I began to question why.
Why do I believe I have no special talent or ability for writing? Why do I feel my fiction doesn’t offer much to anyone other than myself or my family? Like many writers, the passion for creating characters and worlds and stories has grown with me from before my memory. Why would I now allow that passion to wane into a torment that would coerce me into giving it up?
While there are many possible reasons – including the possibility of spiritual attack to keep my stories from reaching those eager to hear the Christian message presented in fiction – one rang clear in the forefront of my mind, I had allowed myself too much ‘Freedom’.
Instead of holding myself to a task or a goal on any level, I made the mistake of giving myself the supposed freedom to do whatever my heart desired. With the lack of any clear direction, my mind and inspiration soon grew too overwhelmed with the infinite possibilities to make a decision and a goal and then move forward. So I did nothing, comfortable in the fact that I utilized my long commute to/from work to hash out a clear picture of my romance rewrite.
Yes, it is good that I am using the time for something other than listening to music or letting my mind wander. However, what about the after? When I arrive at work, or at home, am I putting my thoughts into the computer or onto paper? Not like I should. Distractions were allowed to rule my heart and my inspiration.
I have done the one thing writers are to never do, grow complacent.
My time isn’t being spent reading, or writing, or studying… my gift of freedom to myself has been squandered because I did not assign myself goals. So, when I did not experience the enticing euphoria of completion or accomplishment, my mind began to wander to lesser distractions.
Once complacency had a foothold, laziness soon followed.
Though stories and characters and conflicts cried out for resolve and the breath of life, their dismay did not tempt me. Instead, I began to feel even more pity for myself. Woe is me. I have all this time to write and yet I do nothing… wait… what? Why am I feeling sorry for myself when I am the one letting me slip into the mire of idleness? Why am I expecting pity when I am the one allowing NOTHING to happen?
I have the freedom to place my mind on the path of a goal. Or, I have the freedom to set aside my pen for a vacation of refreshing, no strings attached. It is my freedom of will and thought that allows me freedom for thought and creation. But I must always remember to respect the power of a goal on that freedom. Boundaries and goals help guide us, they are not a limiter. If anything, they swing wide the door of motivation because we see an end that welcomes the pride of accomplishment.
Other participants in the ChristianWriters.com Blog-Chain
- 7/1: Lynn Mosher, Heading Home
- 7/3: Brian Jones, Alambraidria
- 7/4: Traci Bonney, Tracings
- 7/5: Debra Ann Elliott, Sticks and Stepping Stones
- 7/6: Carol Peterson, From Carol’s Quill
- 7/7: Cindee Snider Re, Breathe Deeply
- 7/10: Keith Wallis, wordsculptures
- 7/11: Liberty Speidel, Word Wanderings
- 7/12: Terrie Thorpe, Light for the Journey
- 7/13: Nona King, Word Obsession
- 7/14: Chris Vonada, I’m Just Thinkin’
- 7/16: Scott Fields, Dead Man Writing
- 7/18: Michael Galloway, Horizons
- 7/19: Adam Collings, The Collings Zone>
- 7/20: Victor Travison, Lightwalker’s View
- 7/21: Edward Lewis, Sowing the Seeds
- 7/22: Sarah Grace, Write-Minded
- 7/23: Anita Estes, New Life Dialogue
- 7/25: Chris Depew, The Beulah Land Blog
- 7/27: Tracy Krauss, Expression Express
- 7/28: Marilyn, Life 101 Understanding It All
- 7/30: Chris Henderson, TheWriteChris
Fresh Air | CWBC
This is another ChristianWriters.com Blog-Chain installment. The topic this month is ‘Fresh Air’. To read more blog articles on this topic, please navigate from the link list on the right.
There is something to be said for the steady pace of a life outside of the metropolitan. Life doesn’t sprint past you, leaving you out of breath and wondering what you accomplished. On the east side of the Snoqualmie pass it is up to the hubs and I to make things happen, which opens our minds and imaginations to a long list of adventures standing just outside our doorstep. It becomes our choice to lounge, fish, swim, boat, hike, walk… you get the picture.
In fact, this weekend the hubs and I took up our fishing poles and picnic items and journeyed out for a lunch of bbq burgers and some fishing. The feel of the sun on my face and arms and the soft kiss of the cool breeze off Banks Lake was wonderful, relaxing.
Would I have done the same in Western Wash? Perhaps, to a degree, but more often than not my habit was to get home and try and relax from the hectic journey to and from work. Traffic truly is a muse squasher for me, and it would often take more energy to gird myself up for an evening of editing or writing than I had in reserve.
What I find here in the expanse that is Eastern Wash is a rejuvenating 90-minute one-way commute surrounded by lake after lake, sun-kissed cliff sides, and clear blue skies that are speckled with herons, hawks, magpies and various other birds. How can a person NOT be inspired by that? Well, a person such as I who was raised on a 30-acre homestead. This change of life encompasses not only an alteration to my surroundings, but to my very life’s view.
The Fresh Air of this new ‘way of life’ smacks with the flavor of what being a full-time writer could be, and I must say I am eager for that arrival!
Until that day comes, I will make use of the silent, quality time of my commute to obsess over the outline for my novels, swirling the ideas in my head until my characters and I decide on what the circumstances and outcomes for their destiny happen to be. Perhaps I will even be able to finish the revisions that are dawdling in my head for my contemporary romance and my science fiction YA series?
Time will tell, and the fresh air of the lakes and canyons will be there waiting for me when I venture forth down this new road of creative imaginings.
