My approach to writing

This post is a bit more detail on my intentions and aims for this site and my writing. Hopefully it provides some grounding and understanding for my approach.

Motivation

As of the time of writing, I am at the end of Week 3 of the Artist's Way.

This has been a great course and experience so far, and these early stages of the course are helping me think about what makes me want to write, and why I have struggled to do so regularly before.

I think I have always seen creative pursuits as something that is reserved for others, rather than me - I have historically leaned towards the mathematical/science side of things, and so ‘art’ became something that others focused on whilst I pursued this path. This has meant I have never really thought creative expression is something I should do, or could do well.

Some other blockers that come to mind:

• Not being accurate or well-sourced enough: I don’t have clear enough, evidence-based posts to share that make it worth people’s time to engage in my content
• Not having good narratives: I don’t have enough stories to tell, or worthy ideas to share, to consider creative pursuits in a significant way
• Not having novel enough things to say: Do I have anything worth sharing that actually changes something in the world?

Nevertheless, whether it’s through composing music (or trying to learn how to produce it as of right now!), writing articles, creating projects or something else, there has always been something within me that has been drawn to engaging in my creativity.

The Artist’s Way is now helping me engage in that more richly, and move past these blockers! I am starting to understand (and try to embody) creativity as expression, as doing a service of communicating ideas, thoughts and feelings, with the world, in some form. To see the creative journey as not just worth undertaking, but critical for my understanding of myself and the world. And, after the recent sudden accidental death of a friend, to see creativity as an end in itself, a pursuit worth pursuing purely for the joy of doing so, while we are alive.

One quote that stands out for me from the early stages of the Artist’s Way:

“But do you know how old I will be by the time I learn to really [be creative]?” Yes… the same age you will be if you don’t. So let’s start.

And this is me starting!

Writing is the medium that makes the most sense to me right now. I like the idea of anyone reading this to be able to take in and understand the words in their own time, at their own speed, in their own tone, with their own focus. I like the idea of getting thoughts down and out into the world in a pure and simple way, to start sharing and discussing ideas as quickly as possible.

And something about words, how symbols on a screen can translate to fundamental meaning, and how the use of particular words and phrases, of sentence structure and rhythm, can communicate meaning, I find really beautiful. What a word means to me, might not be the same for you. But if we can use our shared understanding of langugage to communicate ideas and talk to each other, that’s incredible!

Maybe through this journey I’ll learn I’m a poet.

Intentions

Based on these motivations, I have some loose intentions for how I plan to write:

1. To prioritise writing over being right

I feel sad that a lot of the reason I haven’t written much before is feeling like I don’t have the right thing to say - and I think a lot of other people feel this way too. But in direct contradiction to this, one thing I feel strongly (and am now trying to practice) is that the aim of sharing ideas is not to be right or wrong, but to connect with others. Although some ideas may resonate more strongly than others, all ideas you feel may be worth sharing, are worth sharing. After all, that thing you might not think is RIGHT and TRUE might contain enough meaning somewhere within it to mean something to someone, and that is enough (and even, the point).

I’m starting from a point of not having any idea of whether anything I say is right or not. My friend Anne says it better than I can:

…my perspectives are partial, grounded specifically in the context of my own experience, and cannot (and should not!) be universalised. These qualifications aren’t a hedge or a disqualifier, but rather highlight the importance of context, and are a recognition of my own bias. If there are things here that resonate with your own experiences, that’s great! Hopefully my own mental maps makes it easier to create yours.

What I write about is stuff that is on my mind at the time of writing, and all of it is stuff I want to discuss with others. So please read, engage, discuss and challenge - I am claiming no epistemological authority, and want to question everything!

2. Share thoughts as I have them, even if they contradict previous ones

People have thoughts and ideas that change over time as they try to make sense of the world in their own particular contexts, and this is cool! People change over time, and things make sense to people in different ways at different times. Things I thought were useful and right before, no longer are.

I don’t aim for this site to be logically consistent and coherent. I don’t commit to maintaining stances for any longer than the place where I have shared them. I’m trying to learn and grow, and hope that what I write reflects this journey!

So please forgive any inconsistencies, discuss them with me if you are interested, and let’s learn what we can together.

3. To figure out what kind(s) of writing works for me

I’m new to trying to properly write in this way, so I don’t really know what will work for me. Do I want to write articles? Stories? Manifestos? Something else? I don’t really know.

All I DO know is that I want this to be place for ideas and discussion, rather than e.g. day-to-day blogging.

So please prepare for any manner of styles of writing - perhaps the first inconsistency to expect!

Principles for writing

Based on these Motivations and Intentions, I have some principles for how I will write.

1. Ideas over method: To prioritise sharing ideas in the way that works for them, rather than committing to a method and shoe-horning ideas into that.

2. Seek deliberation: To provide spaces for deliberation. This includes cross-posting on Substack for comments and discussion, and, in the style of Dr Fatima, ending all posts with a question for open discussion in these comments.

3. Follow the body and mind: To seek direction from within, and not commit to external themes, focuses, narratives or directions.

4. Cite where I can: Following Anne again - I make no individual claim to my ideas, and everything I share is massively influenced and shaped by the amazing people around me. I promise to cite wherever I can, and if you see something that is yours that isn’t cited, please let me know and I will fix it!!

Hopes

Beyond haveing intentions and aims, there are some aspirations I have that motivate me to engage with this project:

• To share ideas with others. Ideas are forms of communication and expression. I hope to share mine, and to engage with yours.
• To share a discoverable part of me with the world that can become a digital home for who I am and what I have been. Can you see how death has influenced this one?
• To learn and grow by actively and consciously engaging with my thoughts and myself. Who knows where this will go?

Takeaway

Thank you for being here and reading this!

If there’s one takeaway from this, it’d probably be…I’m trying to share, as sharing is all we really have. I would love for you to share too, and I am here to listen/read/engage - please reach out and let’s learn and grow together!

Discussion point

As promised, I’m adding a discussion point here for the Substack comments.

My question for you is - what’s one idea you’d like to share and discuss with others in an open space? And how would you choose to share it - writing, video, reddit post, painting, music, something else?

Head to the comments section to share your thoughts!