Writing Within Limits

When I dare to daydream my life as a full-time writer, I imagine an outbuilding covered wall to wall with books and reams of paper — blank, lined, with scribbles, typed — strewn all over the floor, ink drops on my desk next to an old-fashioned typewriter that would be the aural proof of me fulfilling a lifelong ambition: to write for a living.

Reading “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work” further perpetuated my idyllic view of a writer’s life and my romantic tendencies are fed in aspiration to be able to wake up in the morning, pour myself a glass of tequila, light up a CBD joint, and lean into the musing voices in my head.

But, then, reality smacks me upside my head to shake me back into the focus and acknowledge that there are limits to having this idealized writer’s life.

Instead, I have the next best thing — freedom to sit in a cafe on a regular basis on what Julia Cameron coined as an “artist’s date”, go away now and then on a writing retreat, and ruminate looking at distant rolling hillsides from my dream house in a rural location in Italy. Nothing to complain about here.

Still, what the ideal image does not show are the limitations presented by real life. We have work. We have activities and events to attend. We have people to care for. We have lives that continue to move without any consideration for our writing aspirations. Can I get a head nod and Amen?

So, how can we, as writers, maintain our pursuit of writing within these limitations? Here are my coping mechanisms to bridge the gap between reality and dreams, when life as a full-time writer is not feasible.

1. Journaling — I have journaled since I was 8-years-old. My journals range from the most mundane of “Today, I went shopping and bought a new dress.” to personal monologues musing on social interactions, “Why are people so prone to oversharing about their lives to prove their interest and self-worth to others?” Nearly every day I ensure that I write at least one or two sentences in a journal to remind my writer’s brain that I am not ignoring the urge to write, but other aspects of life have momentarily gotten in the way.
2. Blogging — Before letting your mind drift toward all the potential complications, challenges, and concerns (if you’re not already a blogger), let me just interrupt to say that you are in control of how much, what, and when you write. While journaling is like having inner dialog that no one needs to ever hear, blogging is like having an inner dialog out loud. Sometimes someone overhears (reads) what I have to say and responds, but most of the time I have no idea if my words are being consumed; and, for the most part, I don’t care either way. I have had a few blogs over my adult life, but have managed to maintain one for a while now and it has become a necessary outlet for both of my personas as an individual and a writer.
3. Write for Specific Purposes — Target specific publications where you’d like to publish your pieces and focus your precious writing moments to compose for them. As a planner in life, I have a task on my daily to-do list to write on or for some space and am always on the lookout for the next space on which to share my words. This ensures that I am not necessarily “wasting” my time when I do manage to find the time and energy to write.
4. Be kind to yourself —You know the old adage that says to not have any expectations so that you’re never disappointed? Well, that applies here as well. If you’re not making a living from writing anyway, then what is the worst that will happen if you only manage to write a sentence. I mean, the shortest sentence in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” and happens to have great significance…two words. So, I don’t think you need to apply undue pressure on yourself to complete a story, essay, or piece in one sitting. If I know that I’m not going to have the time to finish something I’m working on, I will make notes on where I want to go with it along with some possible keywords or sentences. This way, I can pick up the thread the next time. Even if the piece completely changes in my next sitting, I just think that’s the way the piece is meant to go — much like a potter lets the clay decide what creation it wants to become when they sit down at the wheel.

So, these are my thoughts on writing within limits. I avoided saying “with limitations” because that provides a negative connotation to the writing process or the things that might hinder our ability to surrender completely to the muses. Instead, embrace the opportunities when they come and let your stories unfold within the limits as they will always find a way to be told.

What about you? How do you cope with writing within the limits you face when it comes to opening 📖 the sunshine ☀️ into your heart ❤️ to tell the stories📚 we all have waiting to be told?