When you write you have to attempt something greater than you can possibly hope to accomplish. That is the only way you can leave a hole, a gap—some chance for a miracle.
(Heather Harpham, I Went to the Animal Fair)
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
(Leonard Cohen, Anthem)
Holes. Gaps. Cracks. Miracle. Light.
This is the truth about writing.
We start with holes: holes in our thoughts, our experiences, our emotions, our theories, our theologies, our relationships, and even our sentence structure.
We feel the gaps: between what we ache to say and the words we can (or cannot) structure, between what we feel and what we think, between what we long to articulate and our fear of who will (or will not) read, between “add new,” “edit” and “publish.”
We know the cracks: the hairline breaks in the sidewalk that we hop over rather than land squarely (safe topics vs. powerful ones), the crevasses into which we fall when no words come, when we are stuck, the space between writing for readers’ sake and writing for writing’s sake.
But we also experience the miracles: the Alexa stats that prove people actually know we exist, the Feedburner numbers that show subscribers, the gracious requests to guest post, the reader comments that touch our heart so deeply we cry, the direct emails that pour out stories of angst and gratitude, resonance and hope.
And the light. Oh, the light. Words that blaze brilliantly into our own holes, our own gaps, our own cracks – and fill them. Words that miraculously shine beacons into our own darkness. Words that somehow, painstakingly, mysteriously crafted in all hours of the night, upon review in day’s light are found to be amazingly cogent, beautiful, powerful, and still true. Words that lay all our cards on the table, eliminate shadows, reveal our heart, and offer radiant glimpses of our purest, strongest, truest self.
The truth about writing?
The maker of a sentence launches out into the infinite and builds a road into Chaos and old Night, and is followed by those who hear him with something of wild, creative delight.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Life can’t ever really defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer’s lover until death – fascinating, cruel, lavish, warm, cold, treacherous, constant.
(Edna Ferber, A Kind of Magic, 1963)
Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depth of your heart; confess to yourself you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.
Rainer Maria Rilke
If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.
(Isaac Asimov)
“Sometimes,” David Whyte writes, “everything / has to be / enscribed across / the heavens / so you can find / the one line / already written / inside you.”
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks, Ronna! Perfect way to start off the weekend. Everything here is so true.
.-= Nicki´s last blog ..Anticipation =-.
Thanks, Nicki. As always, I appreciate your presence, your comments, your encouragement, your heart.
Beautiful! This quote:
“Sometimes,” David Whyte writes, “everything / has to be / enscribed across / the heavens / so you can find / the one line / already written / inside you.” made my heart skip a beat.
It says so much, and embodies what I truly believe. We all have that – our answer inside of us. And we search everywhere until we eventually glimpse it – between the cracks of what we think we see.
As always, your words are powerful, bringing me to a place of humility, awe, longing and gratitude. Yes. All at once.
Magic is happening *right now*. You are a huge part of it.
Thank You!
Hugs and butterflies,
~T~
.-= PicsieChick´s last blog ..Ode to the weekend =-.
LOVE that there’s magic happening. LOVE that I can be even a small part of such! Thank you for your kindness…
Ronna, amazingly timely post for me. That last quote by Whyte is so beautiful. Thank you!
.-= Alisha´s last blog ..Workshop Goals =-.
Everything of David Whyte’s is beautiful, isn’t it? You’re more than welcome, of course!
O my Ronna you did it again…paying attention one step ahead like a trusted guide who knows the way and can’t wait to share. I’m with Alisha on this; timely timely. Thank you.
.-= Sofi Lumenati´s last blog ..The Little Brown Job, new Motherhood and K. Eileen Allen =-.
Mmmm. So glad. Can’t wait to see what you write – what is yet ahead, Sofi!
I weep at the beauty, the resonating-like-a-bell feeling that tickles inside my very being. “Words that miraculously shine beacons into our own darkness. Words that somehow, painstakingly, mysteriously crafted in all hours of the night, upon review in day’s light are found to be amazingly cogent, beautiful, powerful, and still true.” Acknowledging writer-soul-sister. You inspired a “bonus” blog post in the 31st of 30 in the 30 day blogging challenge that got me onto twitter that got me to your sacred circle (via Molly @ Shaboom). Miracles every one. Thank you for all the conversation.
Bobbye Middendorf
The Write Synergies Guru
.-= Bobbye Middendorf´s last blog ..Write Synergies: What It Means — Blog Challenge Post 25 =-.
I am so humbled by this, Bobbye – and grateful. I love to write, but reading such beauty – written/spoken on my behalf – adds a new meaning, weight, and honor to that joy. Thank you.