I Write Because...

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The Foundation...a writing prompt provided by Julie Jordan Scott, Writing Retreat, 5 for 5 Brain Dump, July 2018

(Part 1) I write because through writing I discover. More about myself. More about others. More about the world. The Life Force becomes known. I write because I need to be intentionally aware. I write to know what I taste, smell, see, hear, feel, understand, believe matters. I write because I like to share the voice inside me, like there's more to me than what other's can see with their eyes. I write because I want to record the world as I see it, hear it, feel it, smell it, understand it. I write because I believe that there is more to this life than just "the doing of life." There is a greater purpose, role, place in the workings of the Universe than what one can observe on the surface. I write because I need to reflect, need to listen to the messages of my Creator, need a tool to help me grow and live a fulfilled life.

Writing gives me a way to articulate taste, touch, smell, sound, sight, feelings.

Writing allows me a way to discover.

Writing allows me to document, to plan, to manifest, to ask questions, to wake up the inner spirit, to encourage, to create space for creativity, to feel the emotions of life, to experience the "aha's" that Oprah references.

(Part 2) I like to write free flow of thought as Julie encourages. And then, later, I like to reread what I wrote and expand, go deeper, reflect, and pull out the nugget of what my inner spirit really wants me to discover...

When I write I am expressing more than I can when I don't write. When I set time aside to put words on the page, whether the words are just for me or for sharing with others, I become more observant. I pay attention to others, nature, the workings of the Universe, to me. When I spend time writing, I listen more. I listen to the whispers of my spirit, I listen to the whispering wind. Without writing I become stagnant like the pond that doesn't have an inlet or outlet. Without writing I lose focus and my sense of being in the moment. Without writing I lose momentum. Without writing I ignore the creative spirit wanting to be heard. Discovery implies learning. I write because the process is an essential element of who I am. Through writing the authentic self is known.

Peace Looks Like...

Below is a response from a prompt selected by Julie Jordan Scott and her 5 for 5 Brain Dump Writing Retreat in July 2018.

(Part 1) Peace looks like this almond tree growing in my back yard, a desert terrain with a little TLC. Peace smells like the summer evening breeze. Peace tastes like a light glass of blush wine after a full day of work. Peace sounds like the birds chirping in the morning and evening.

(Part 2-written after more prompting and reflective thought) I remember peace during a few precious moments in time during my turbulent teen years when I sat with a girlfriend (Julie Johnson) on a fork of the Clearwater River in the green north Idaho forest. We slid our bare feet onto the river's edge cold dirt, splashing the clear cool water on our warm skin. We tossed pebbles into the shallow water asking the questions about life we didn't have answers to. We were independent thinking young women who were also still required to be semi-dependent on others. We could laugh at the simplest things, or let the tears silently roll if needed. We were alone in many aspects and yet our friendship has remained after nearly 38 years. We both wanted more that summer day of the unknown. More peace within. More peace with others. And for that blip on the continuum of our lives we found much needed peace through each other. And we can still capture that in a few simple words while living 300 miles away. Thank you, my friend.