I remember the first creative nonfiction piece that I ever published. It was such a challenge to know that my thoughts would be out there for the world to see. I was reluctant because it was a piece that discussed a challenging night that I had as a parent. However, what I soon realized other parents were experiencing similarities, and they found comfort in my story. I was not prepared for the sense of peace that followed. This experience taught me the importance of writing as a path to healing.
I recently attended a writing conference held by the International Women’s Writing Guild. It was compiled by a group of diverse writers across various genres and their mission is simple:
Wherever you live, whatever your circumstance, The Guild is here waiting for you. We are a global community of women writers with diverse voices.
It was a safe creative space made up women writers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. As we learned techniques for writing memoir and poetry, we also weaved our own personal stories into the dialogues. At the end, many had the opportunity to share and read their work. I was blown away at the amount of experience, perspectives, and levels of energy that permeated the room. For me, healing took place during that afternoon session. Not only was I encouraged to write, edit and workshop my memoir, but I was also reminded of the special power of words. The artistic aspect of writing is often stolen by society’s need to write a status on Facebook or share their thoughts in a simple tweet. It would be a refreshing cultural shift for writing to be reflective thoughts translated into words that ignite personal healing.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Maya Angelou