I believe that strong writing is connected with spirituality and healing. Many of us feel that we are in constant pursuit of healing. For some of us, spirituality is a path to deeper meaning. By “spirituality” I mean an inner path enabling us to discover the essence of our being. In order to get to this place, the writer needs to do the work it takes to heal. There are many ways to do the work. We can do it through therapy, yoga and meditation and by learning to be more conscious.
When we think about the times a story has moved us to tears, it is often because the writer is coming from an evolved place of consciousness. Writing is reflecting upon our lives. When we go through a myriad of emotions from joy, triumph and accomplishment to betrayal, loss, trauma and disease, the page is a strong place to escape. It helps us to pull apart and make sense of what happened. It helps us to see ourselves in a clear way. We hope that it helps us to not repeat patterns that cause us pain. When we do the work with healing, we become more spiritually connected to our story. We start to see our own involvement and responsibility in what we create. We begin to explore the bigger life questions that haunt and intrigue all of us.
In the book, Writing For Your Life, the author, Deena Metzger writes, “At the root of our lives is a question, a series of questions, a quest, some fundamental concerns or obsessions; the mystery, the story, and the meaning of our lives reside there. A story also has a question at the core of it, and the question leads to the mystery within the story. The deeper one goes into the story, the more one learns, the more things are revealed, the deeper the mystery. Perhaps the story has no other function than to ask the question or to deepen the mystery.”
I work with writers on a continuous basis. I encourage them to go deeper into their work by connecting with their well. Their well is where they will find their gold. It is a place where their body of experience lies. It is their truth. Learning to fictionalize their truth and bring it to the page is the goal of the writer. When you do the work to heal, you connect to yourself at a deeper level spiritually.
Deena Metzer goes on to write, “…A writer develops a body of work, and we come to recognize the characters and stories she creates, but this does not mean that the writer is repeating herself. Rather the opposite. Over time, the questions the writer is asking become deeper and more penetrating until the questions, not the answers, become his signature.”
When we do the internal work to process, heal and manage our life, it will show up in our story. Our story is about the journey. The journey involves going inside. Since spirituality and healing are a part of the creative experience, I encourage writers to do yoga, meditation and any activity that encourages healing and spirituality. On this note, there is an upcoming screening of “The Shaman & Ayahuasca: Journeys to Sacred Realms,” a film by Michael Wiese on June 17, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. at the Landmark Theater – Westside Pavilion. Go to http://www.mwp.com/the-shaman-ayahuasca-la-film-showings-june.html Behind this concept is a story of healing and a journey to wholeness. It connects the idea of spiritual healing and expression. Going to events like this will help you to go deeper into your craft.
