Write On!

Last year I went on a 100-mile bicycle ride (a century, as they call it in the biz) and wrote up a blog piece on the experience, 100 Miles of Solitude. I was so energized by the experience, and I mean the writing, that I published a second blog the following week. That was it, the beginning of my weekly writing practice. Or at least I thought. Turns out that lasted, well, those two weeks.

Months passed with nary a word from me. Then I had the extraordinary adventure of walking the Camino with my daughter—300 miles of exploration and adventure from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. During the trek, I shared experiences, reflections, photos, etc. with my family via WhatsApp daily messages. While I did this to share the journey with them, I found the process of daily blogging added depth, texture and meaning to the experience for me. I turned that into a blog series, which I published this summer.

Then radio silence. Again.

What gets in the way?

Waiting for perfection, for one. The perfect idea. The perfect words, phrasing, mood, flow, style, everything. After all, once the written word goes out into the world, it lives in that form forever. So, I better get it just right. The quest for perfection is suffocating.

Then there’s the search for subject. What should I write about? I’ve wasted way too many opportunities to create by waiting for perfect (there it is again) clarity on topic. How about just write and see what comes?

I recently rewatched the “Get Back” Beatles documentary series. With excerpts stitched together from over 60 hours of raw film, director Peter Jackson offers us a unique window into the creative space that is songwriting. What amazes me is to see the approach. Someone comes in with an idea, maybe a musical phrase, a lyric, sometimes more, sometimes less, and then they just start creating and re-creating together. It’s a messy process. Just get started and work it work it.

So here it is October of 2024, one year after my first burst of inspiration to begin writing again. This time I hope to employ a more disciplined approach, a daily practice to get the engine re-started and running. It’s time to get something down, and work it work it. Write on!