As an academic, you inherently have a relationship with writing. It’s the main mechanism of sharing your contributions with the world.
When you ask yourself: why am I writing, do you answer any of the following?
“I am writing because I am supposed to write.”
“I am writing because I am being asked to by my committee, supervisor, peers.”
“I am writing because I have to write to complete my degree, get a grant or get a paper.”
If yes, how do these answers make you feel?
And, what if writing was your friend?
And you asked, why am I friends with writing?
And you answered,
“I am friends with writing because I am supposed to be their friend.”
“I am friends with writing because I am being asked to be their friend.”
“I am friends with writing because I have to be their friend to get something.”
How would you feel about interacting with this friend? Would you be excited to interact with them? Would you want a friend like this?
If this is how you feel about writing, doesn’t it makes sense that you are struggling? How you are thinking about your writing is affecting how you feel and generating, in this case, likely inaction. Remember, feelings are the fuel for your actions.
And, I’ve got good news! How you relate to your writing is your choice and changing your relationship with writing starts with you.
To start changing your relationship with writing I invite you to ask yourself these 3 questions:
How do I want to be in relationship with my writing?
How do I want to feel about my writing?
How might I think about my writing differently to feel that way?
These questions may or may not be easy to answer but what I know for sure is that taking consistent, action aligned with these answers requires support to shift from where you are now to where you want to be. Otherwise, we would all just be doing it, right?
If you or anyone you know is struggling in their relationship with writing and is ready to shift this relationship, please email me at support@melissaeanders.com and request a quick phone call so that I can hear more about what’s happening for you and see if the work that I do is a good fit for you.
Warmly,
Melissa
Ps – Is it time for you to write, and differently?
Melissa E Anders 