“Our stories make us stronger and better.” — Holly Curtin Just Write! #amwriting #iamawriter #justwrite
Category: Quotes
That Vulnerable Feeling
“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” — Brené Brown Note from Marlene: I think that sharing your writing is an act of trust and courage. That vulnerable feeling is real. #justwrite #iamawriter #amwriting
People will never forget . . .
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou
Healing Starts When You . . .
“Healing starts when you write about what happened and how you felt about it then, and how you feel about it now. And in order for our writing to be a healing experience, we need to honor our pain, loss and grief.” — “Opening Up By Writing It Down” by James Pennebaker “The Write Spot: Writing as a Path to Healing” has an expansive section on how to write about difficult subjects without adding trauma.
It’s Just The Programming
Do you wonder why you think what you think? “It’s just the programming.” Ted A. Moreno offers these words for contemplation: We believe what we’re told. That’s what we do as little kids. From the time we’re born until 8 or 9 years old we take in everything as absolute truth. So when people come to my hypnotherapy office because they don’t feel good about themselves, or they feel less than, I tell them “Hey, It’s the programming. Just the programming. The mind viruses you caught from someone else. It’s not your fault. It’s not who you are, it’s just how you are thinking and what you believe, and the good news is that you can change your thinking and what you believe.” Excerpt from: “Embrace Your Place: Powerfully Claiming Your Existence, Episode 408”— November 17, 2022, by Ted Moreno Ted A. Moreno is a hypnotherapist, success performance coach, published author,…
The Stories We Tell
“Jo [Gaines] shares how the process of writing her new book led her to see more clearly the fullness of her story: Every piece, worthy. Every chapter, a bridge. Every moment that shaped her, brought to the surface.” Winter 2022, Magnolia magazine “I ended up discovering a lot in my story: clarity, healing, deeper truths I didn’t know I could get to. But mostly, these pages brought me back to myself, back to those tender little moments I thought I’d lost. In writing down my story, I had the chance to relive some of the very best chapters of my life.” —Joanna Gaines, Winter 2022 issue of Magnolia magazine. Your turn: Books like Joanna’s as well as The Write Spot books might help you write your stories, and like Jo, you might find clarity and healing, remembering what you have forgotten. “The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story…
I write to understand . . .
“So, while I still write for understanding, for truth, for clarification, to tell a story, to help people, to help myself and even for fun—I also write for communication, for discussion, for connection. In a world that can feel fragmented and lonely, I write to bring myself closer to others.” —Diane Forman, “Why I Write,” Brevity’s NonFiction Blog, October 31, 2022 More on “Why Write?” Why Do You Write? Why I Write Just Write!
Meeting My Father
“Whether you have a fractured relationship with your dad or family, or you have untold stories of your own, now is the time to bring them out of the darkness and let them shine and be a beacon to inspire and move others. You never know who you can possibly help until you share pieces of your own heart through writing or by showing up, fully present, with a heart full of love.” — Shawn Langwell “Father’s Day has ALWAYS been hard for me BUT I decided to write a short poem forgiving my father, finally, fully. Thank you to The Good Men Project for publishing the poem. It is called, simply, MY FATHER.” — Kevin Powell Note from Marlene: Thank you, Shawn and Kevin, for giving me the courage to post My Father story. “Meeting My Father,” by Marlene Cullen. When I was seven years old, I was embarrassed…
Write to exorcize . . .
“Write to exorcize what’s haunting you. Write about whatever it is you can’t get out of your head—a person, a place, a fear, a fictional scene, a memory from your past, a fantasy for your future. Allow yourself to think obsessively and shamelessly about only that one thing for as long as it takes to get it down on paper.” —Puloma Ghosh, on The Isolation Journal, created by Suleika Joauad. The Isolation Journals is Suleika’s newsletter for “people seeking to transform life’s interruptions into creative grist. Both free and paid subscriptions are available.” #justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
Jon Batiste, radar, and writing
“I believe this to my core, there is no best musician, best artist, best dancer, best actor,” he began. “The creative arts are subjective and they reach people at a point in their lives when they need it most. It’s like a song or an album is made and it’s almost like it has a radar to find the person when they need it the most.” — Jon Batiste, during his 2022 Grammy winner for best album acceptance speech I think writing can be included in the creative arts category. When we’re lucky, our writing radar picks up news and events when we need them to enhance our writing. And that includes writing communities like The Write Spot. Welcome! I’m so glad you are here. The Write Spot Resources Page: Writing Blogs and Websites Places to submit writing Community groups Writing magazines ~Marlene #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter