The 'I believe' writing exercise
This post previously appeared as a newsletter, and you can take a listen below!
This writing exercise was an idea I got from fellow writer Javacia Harris Bowser, who was also a guest on Writing Black Joy season 1. You can watch us on youtube or take a listen here. It is a simple prompt - I believe. And the exercise is simple. Write down what you believe about whatever it is you are working on.
I can’t even remember the first time I heard her mention it, but a few months ago, I had some very conflicting feelings around my Writing Black Joy project and I knew I needed to write to gain some clarity. One of the things I have noticed over the years is that building or creating something new is never a linear process. You have an idea, and a picture in your head about how you want it to look, but while making it, that idea often evolves, and there can be decisions around how to stick to the plan, vs how to let it evolve. I have seen this happen when writing books, painting, creating my podcast, and blog - and even this newsletter.
Once you begin to create something, it can take on a life of it’s own. That was what was happening with Writing Black Joy. And as much as I loved the evolution, I could also feel that there was something happening that I was uncomfortable with, and I struggled to articulate it when chatting to friends and fellow writers. I found the “I Believe” exercise was great for getting me to write down what was true for me about the project. The exercise revealed where I held my own conflicting beliefs around the project, and I could see clearly what was bothering me so much. It can be difficult to hold conflicting beliefs and yet this is a part of daily life. So many situations are nuanced.
Understanding where we hold conflicting beliefs can help us see what is holding us back from taking action. Seeing it in front of us in can be the thing that prompts us towards change. For me, seeing where I was holding beliefs that felt as if they clashed with one another really helped me to move forward - feeling good about what I was creating while planning for future seasons that might shift direction slightly.
So there we go! This week’s exercise is writing your “I believe” statements. And if you want to see what came out of me doing that exercise, and read some of my “I believe” statements, you can check out my blog post where I gave myself permission to be an idealist! Let me know if you try this exercise, and what you believe. Just hit reply to this email.
And I also wanted to let you know that I have a patreon community! Come on over and join me to get access to monthly group sessions which could be workshops, group coaching or a time to write, read or chat together. I look forward to seeing some of you over there!
Alright folks - I hope that you have a great week and I’ll catch up with you in the inbox next week!
Until then, I send you big love from a small island.