Don't Forget to Write

One month till 1000 WORDS the book comes out. Have you pre-ordered your signed copy that comes with cute stickers yet?

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Hi Friends.

I just wanted to send you a quick note before we head into the weekend, in the thick of these holidays, and in the thick of this world. Because I was thinking about you this morning while I was sitting with my coffee, writing in my notebook, my small dog pretend-snoozing nearby, one eye open, waiting patiently for his walk.

Last night I read this letter on Sharon Olds from Mason Currey, where it mentions how she thought writing was fun, and how she had all these notebooks she filled and just kept filling her entire life. I thought about how she lived the life that she chose. She met friends for dinner, she went to the movies, she took nice walks in the city. She had people in her life that she loved. Sometimes she won awards and gave readings and taught people and traveled all over the world. Just a rich, full life. And also she had lots and lots of notebooks and she loved spending time within them. The notebooks were important to her. Part of the richness of her life.

So lucky to walk by this all the time. Art by BMIKE.

And it reminded me that I hadn’t written in my notebook all week, not anything besides a to-do list which I instantly ignored. Because I was distracted and overwhelmed by my life and the world. So I sat down and wrote.

And, as I wrote, I was thinking about how when I’m not writing, I’m not taking care of myself. In particular, when I’m not handwriting, I’m not being interior with myself, not being intimate in my thinking and feeling. And I need to be doing that in order to not only flourish but to survive.

Sometimes it feels so pointless though. When the world is the worst version of itself as it is now. (Though one can argue that the world is still the best version of itself too.) But to write is one small thing I can do to look out for myself. I always feel better after having written. I always know how I’m doing—how I’m truly feeling—after I spend time in my notebook. I’d rather know, than not.

Anyway all this to say, that I was thinking of you, the people I know and the people I haven’t met yet, but still, the people who are reading this letter looking for some particular thing, just as I am looking for some particular thing by writing it. What I wanted to say was: Don’t check out on yourself. Be there for yourself. If you can, don’t let another day go by without writing. It is worth it. You are worth it. Don’t forget to write.

OK, have a nice weekend.

Jami

p.s. This week’s donation went to Anera.

You are reading Craft Talk, the home of #1000wordsofsummer and also a weekly newsletter about writing from Jami Attenberg. I’m also on twitter and instagram.