Zest. Gusto. How rarely one hears these words used. How rarely do we see people living, or for that matter, creating by them. Yet if I were asked to name the most important items in a writer’s make-up, the things that shape his material and rush him along the road to where he wants to go, I could only warn him to look to his zest, see to his gusto.
Ray Bradbury
Being here, spending most moments reading, writing, thinking about writing and the writing life is heady. The students and advisers here are amazingly talented, dedicated poets, writers and artists. And it's easy to get intimidated...But I know when I go home that "real life" will interfere with the excitement of studying writing and poetry. As Ray Bradbury says it's that real life stuff that shapes you as a writer, can you still be excited by writing if you work an office job? or work in a supermarket, or a restaurant? Keeping the excitement going can be challenging when real life steps in. Do you take time to research new writers and artists? Go to art exhibits, book signings, workshops? Julia Cameron writes about artists' dates to keep you in the moment...have you had an artists' date recently?
Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag