Why Write?
I have met so many peers who unabashedly proclaim, “I hate writing!” or worse, “I can’t write!” (and yet, I find them to be fabulous storytellers.) The funniest people I know are natural storytellers, oral history keepers and satirists. Yet, putting the words down on paper conjures so much anxiety and angst that the whole process of telling a story gets stifled.
I begin teaching school on Monday and can’t help but to think, “Is this where all that negative emotion begins?” Is it the fear of the RED pen that stops us from even beginning?
Hold this thought for a moment, I’ll get back to it.
I read in the New York Times this morning: “In Reykjavík, there are more published authors in Iceland than in any other country, that everyone is a poet and that literature is as important as cod, milk and the weather!”
When I think of Iceland, an abundance of published authors is not my first thought, but rather waterfalls and glaciers, its whales and volcanoes, and it's summer nights, which are so bright that they may penetrate your dreams. (I love that…)
“My dad would go to work every day and write in a room full of funny people. He enjoyed it. I know great writers who find the process agonizing but to me, writing has always been sheer joy. ”
As you may recall, just a little over a year ago, I wrote about our Girl Scout trip to Iceland (Iceland blog): Stelpukraftur! (Girl power! Powerful women!) During this adventure, all my senses became alive with the probabilities of possibilities - this evolving energetic island of ice and ether nurtured the realm of imagination - so much so, it sparks the inner writer in us all to jot down feelings, thoughts and emotions stirred up within. I’m beginning to understand why there are so many authors…
Bra Fence, Iceland
(Location coordinates: N63° 32.788' W19° 44.088')
There is a fun movie called, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” starring Will Ferrell and Jessica McAdams who represent the Icelandic contestants. Here is their final song “My Home Town” Husavik - My Home Town (Official Video)
But what I love most about the movie is their belief in the magic behind the fairies. I kid you not. Huldufólk are “hidden” or “secret” people. Not human beings per se, but rather fairies, elves and especially trolls. While the legendary creatures are part of general Scandinavian culture, their legacy is especially strong in Iceland. Again, is it a testament to a strong belief system of what CAN be?
Huldufólk Homes, Iceland
Storytelling and having a story to tell can be two different, but similar things.
I learned the effects of storytelling quite personally when I took a job as a Nanny in San Francisco to help pay for graduate school. The former Nanny was from England and I was told he held the magic of using the power of the imagination when it came to storytelling. Now, I considered myself quite prepared for the job. I was a long-time YMCA camp counselor and program director. I was considered queen babysitter in my neighborhood, I was becoming a school teacher… I was not afraid to fill this former Nanny’s Caractacus Potts shoes.
Boy was I mistaken.
I was replacing this Christopher Robin-Hans Christian Andersson-Dick VanDyke-Harry Potter-type Nanny who had whole-heartedly captured my little employer so profoundly, that it took me, initially, by surprise and then catapulted me into researching the Power Behind Storytelling. I had my work cut out for me…
And yet, I somehow prevailed through the magic of utilizing the language of Star Wars and in the end, won my little Sheldon Cooper over with space fantasy-opera-science fiction dialogue.
Returning to those initial thoughts and emotions behind writing…
Ditching the RED pen
Think of the writer first.
~Advice to ALL School Teachers
Expressive writing can be a form of therapy that’s always available, and one that has been shown by numerous studies to improve emotional (and even physical) well-being. Come join us for the opportunity to write (RED pen free)!
Jeannette and I are hosting a Riders and Writers retreat next month from Noon on September 23rd to 4:00p.m. on the 25th. We hope you can join us! Register HERE.
