It’s popping up again and again in my life lately.
People pointing out what my family and I do differently, as though I didn’t know it myself.
My son has long hair.
Different!
My daughter just cut all of hers off and dyed a streak of it turquoise – and yes I helped.
Different!
I am Russian, but grew up in Australia.
Different!
I like using words, and long ones. And having a good size working vocabulary.
Different!
I have created a job for myself that doesn’t have a standard title, or a job description that you can look up in online job searches.
Different!
I was getting cross about all of the pointing out of difference, until Himself pointed out that it’s these differences that makes us unique. My family, with our long-haired son who is adamant that cutting his hair is not for him. Our daughter, who has dreamed of a turquoise streak in her hair for months. Ourselves: both working from home, in our own businesses, that don’t have easily categorised job descriptions. Working in the veggie patch during lunch. Our difference is what makes us who we are.
Then I thought about you.
Your writing.
If you write the same as everyone else, you’re just joining in the noise.
In writing, difference is a strength.
Hemingway strove to write just what was.
Allende writes magically, richly.
Kingsolver brings a scientific mind married to artistic wordsmithery (totally a word, by the way) to show us our biases through precisely balanced novels.
Stephen King scares us witless with the nightmare made possible.
None of these authors write the same. They all write well. (Understatement!) Their difference is their strength. It’s through having such distinctive and diverse ways of expressing their own stories that they are so successful at being themselves, and at being writers.
Get to the kernel of your writing. Ask yourself today: what is your difference? What do you write that’s different to the static noise of ‘should be writing like this’ out there?
(Hint #1: if you’ve found your own voice, you’re most of the way there.)
(Hint #2: To find your voice, you need your MTR. Read this.)
What do you know, to write about, that is the best expression of you right now?
How can you get more real about your difference (read: strength) today?
Let me know in the comments: let’s be different, together.
Hey Tamara,
I’ve consistently been told that I write from the heart + soul. That my writing is vulnerable and frank. It’s honest. There is so much noise and I don’t want to add to it. I want to tell my specific story. I want to tell it with honesty, because in honesty there is strength and healing. Not only for me, but for those who read about what I do in the world, my personal evolution experiences, and how I manage to create, write, and connect with like minded people.
Every time I write something, I ask myself – is it honest? Does it feel good? If there are spots that are unnecessary or aren’t helpful, I take them out. And I always make sure to flip the lessons I learn for the reader. This is how I best feel I can serve others.
xo
Exactly Kristen! I love that. I love the questions you ask yourself, too. Honesty is such a big part of writing – effective, useful, nourishing writing.
Thank-you for sharing that with me. X
Makes me think of Julia Cameron’s “The Right to Write” which I just completed. She said that we shouldn’t strive to be ‘original’. Instead, we should strive to be honest (!) and true to our own origins. Then a new perspective comes… then something original comes. 😀
That’s such a coincidence Raquel – I just got “The Right to Write” down off the shelf today, and was struck by that very part. Truth and honesty will grow anything you are attempting in writing. X
I love this post! Authenticity and uniqueness is so important to me. I love being different and I love your differences . . . and, yes, they’re strengths. What I love the most is that you’re celebrating and embracing them and encouraging your kids to do the same. It’s so awesome that they know who they are and what they want and that you’re helping it to flourish. So often, that doesn’t happen.
Hey Leanne!
Lovely to see you here 🙂
And thanks – it’s been a long road, but it’s just becoming clearer and clearer that this is where the gold is. And I’m learning most from my kids. They know who they are; they don’t need me to stuff with that.