Another great blog post I found, and since I spend most of my time writing for my clients, I thought I’d share it. Lots of good resources here!

9 Possible Ways That Writing Changes Things

by Joanna on September 2, 2009

I asked a question the other day about how writing helps to make things possible.

It’s a question that unfolds in lots of different ways.

Some of it is around the way we write to open things up for others (and more on that next week.)

But I’m also interested in the way that writing can shift things for us, inside: opening up a sense of creativity, playfulness, the freedom to dream dreams and explore what’s possible.

Apture™

by Silke Gerstenkorn

I don’t have definitive answers on this, just some ideas, observations and hunches.  Your feedback, input and expertise on this question is most welcome to help me (and others) understand the connection between writing and possibility.

As numbers help me open things up, I’ve used the hook of number 9 to doodle around the question.

How Does Writing Help To Make Things Possible?

1. Writing is a declaration of intent

Putting pen to paper makes a dream, a target, an imagined possibility start to seem more real.

The language you use makes it more tangible.  Sharing it with others – on Twitter, or a blog post – means blasting through the comfort zones and setting out where you really want to get to.

By writing it down, you declare yourself in the game.  Putting it on paper alerts the part of your brain known as the reticular activating system to join you in the play. ~ Henriette Anne Klauser, Write it Down, Make it Happen

2. Writing helps you notice the sticking points

You might notice your own points of resistance or limiting beliefs as you write.  You might notice them because you’re feeling awkward or uncomfortable in writing about them, or spot them later when you’re editing.  Perhaps it’s negative language you’ve used, or metaphors that subconsciously make a project look threatening and daunting.

When this happens you could try rewriting with language that is softer, more possible, more full of “coulds” and “maybes” and see if new a sense of possibilities opens up (more on the language and verbs of possibility next week.)

Anytime words alone stop you doing what is important to you – change the words ~ Moshe Feldenkreis

3. Repetition makes a difference

I guess this is how affirmations work (though they rarely work for me, because they’re too general and not convincing enough.)  The more you write about something postive, interesting, quirky, creative… the more you will start to feel that way.  (I think this only works if it’s genuine, not if you’re just doing it for the sake of it or to try and convince yourself.)

I explored this a while back in relation to writing with gratitude.  It’s one of the best examples I know of how language, words and writing can change your state.

Writing that sense of gratitude helps you to notice it, capture it, name it, share it.

Gratitude changes the way you write. Writing with gratitude changes you.

4. Your mind starts looking for evidence: to back up what you’re working on or thinking about, or to supply you with more words.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy writing to a theme: my mind starts looking for material I can collect and use.  The theme serves as a focus or filter.  So long as I pick something positive (interesting, quirky, creative) I can look forward to finding all sorts of interesting things courtesy of my inner search engine.

5. Writing opens things up

Pick a theme, a topic, an idea that you want to write about and your mind will look for ways to explore it and expand it.  Pick a number for a list, and your brain will hunt for the answers to your question.  (One of the reasons I love list posts.)  It’s a way of opening your mind… including opening it up to new, previously undreamt of possibilities too

6. Writing helps you notice the details

Writing that’s full of generalities is dull and unconvincing.  Writing becomes vivid and compelling when you work in the details, the messy, fascinating, terrible, wonderful stuff of life.  Paying attention to the details makes the journey through life more interesting and enjoyable, awakening the explorer mind set.

7. Writing makes you creative and playful

Writing gets you playing with language, regardless of whether or not you’re engaged in something labelled ‘creative writing’.  Some words in themselves can make you feel more creative and playful (and let me assure you, possibility is one of them )

Creative, playful people are more likely to find solutions and look for possibilities.

8. Writing changes your brain chemistry

I just wish I knew more about how.

( Ellen, Robyn, if you’ve any articles on the archives on this please do let me know, and I’ll work them in to what’s next on this topic.)

9. Writing together helps us find answers

I have a lot of hunches and intuitive feelings about this topic.  I’ve done some reading about it, but not enough to make this post really well referenced.

I’d love to hear more from you – about examples, evidence, books you’ve read, or your own experience of how writing changes things… inside, to start to make them possible.

On the blog-writing front, I’m still wading in the shallowend, so for now, I’m reposting something I wrote originally over at the DreamBank blog (www.dreambank.org/blog)

I was hanging out on YouTube when I came upon this. Someone had the good sense to compile 40 of the most inspiring speeches in movie history into a 2 minute burst of inspiration. So for anyone who needs a quick pick-me-up, enjoy this short& sweet hit of inspiring words.

Here’s the transcript of the entire clip montage:

“Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you’re going to let it be the worst. And I guarantee a week won’t go by in your life you won’t regret walking out, letting them get the best of you. Well, I’m not going home. We’ve come too far! And I’m going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. You’re going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that’s fine, we’ll just get tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option. That’s how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time: you’ve got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You’re like a big bear, man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death… that’s the Chicago Way! Who’s with me? Clap! Clap! Don’t let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let’s fly! And gentlemen in England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our Independence Day!”