Slice #2, Writing Identity

 So... my post yesterday was about setting goals for writing.  I used the categories of motivation, time, and needs to talk about my goals for this month.  Hilariously, my time goal was to write first thing in the morning and here I am at 12:21.  My needs goal was to choose a 'theme' for this month's posts, and I did that!  I I thought about how I said so many people in my life don't even know that I do this challenge, and I got to thinking about just how many different identities I have.  I can say that I'm so excited to explore my different identities this month!  I've made a list of 30+ 'identities' such as teacher, wife, dog mom, etc. and plan to focus on a different side of me each day.  

Today, I'd like to share a slice of my writer life.  I teach a course for Gateway Writing Project called the Writing Institute.  During every class that we meet, we write together.  Today, a teacher brought in a list of 100 words and explained the One Word Prompt.  I couldn't choose just one, I chose nine that inspired me:  sunshine, nourish, empty, gratitude, beginning, promise, forgiveness, relax, discovery.  It seems pretty obvious what is on my mind.  My first line in response to this prompt was, I think I'm holding a grudge.  A good line I intend to expand on later as I explore some grudges against the weather, a handful of people in my life, and just maybe life in general.

Another beautiful thing that came from being in a writing community today is that writing groups reported back on their experiences reading books this year intended to build their writing identities.  They read:  Writing Down the Bones, The Right to Write, On Writing Well, Craft in the Real World, Write What Matters, etc. along with a few others.  To their surprise (but not mine), their books had a theme in common!  Write often, write honestly, and forget your inner critic.  To be in a room of adults that are having this 'a-ha moment' is a beautiful thing.  To be in a room of teachers that are beginning to take up a writing practice is one of the aspects that fuels who I am as a teacher and as a writer... building my own writing community.

Here are two gems I jotted down during presentations.  Write for Writing's sake.  Bask in the pleasure of language.  Today, my writer self has done both :)