Don’t Never Mind Yourself

On Wednesday, I got to soak up ideas and inspiration from five Story Explorers: Bitsy Parks, Geno Church, Aliza Werner, Lolly Salazar, and Carrie Thomas. They are part of the Story Exploratory community and come to write with me at the monthly workshops.

You can watch their brilliant performances here. What I love most is that they were all given the same prompt: to share advice on what it means to live the life of a writer, but what they each shared is unique to them. They all impressed me in their own way and offered insights that reminded me why writing matters.

Writing isn’t just about being able to express ourselves…writing is about capturing what is means to be human. Writers are people who pay attention and savor moments and honor their emotions — the whole range of them — and who love life.

I’m proud to be an intrepid Story Explorer and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing this resonates with you too.

To write this and be so confident means I had to figure out how to move past thinking that my writing didn’t matter, that whatever I had to say wasn’t important.

If you watch Dear Writer: Story Explorers Weigh In, you’ll see the message I shared at the end. My message was a cautionary tale because when I was very young, I made the mistake of believing that my writing didn’t matter.

I really liked to write. I had fun doing it. And I even thought I was a good writer.

BUT for some reason, I didn’t think it mattered that I liked to write and it was fun and I was maybe even good at it.

Here’s what I wrote in 1992 when I was 11:

Do you see that last line?

But, nevermind.

I never minded myself. It took me a long time to get over that feeling that my writing didn’t matter and that no one cared if I liked it or if it was fun or if I was good at it.

I carried around that belief that my writing didn’t matter for a long time.

Now, as a 44-year-old, I work really hard to make sure that my own sons don’t feel this way, that my students don’t feel this way, that my fellow teachers don’t feel this way, that my friends don’t feel this way, that my clients don’t feel this way.

This is why I am so passionate about the work I do with Story Exploratory. It’s part love for the little girl I once was who didn’t feel she mattered AND part anger that the little girl I once was didn’t feel she mattered.

Don’t never mind yourself. Whether you want to write a poem or a note to a friend or a memoir or a blog or a book or a children’s book or an essay…you should do it.

If I can be helpful in any way, let me know. Obviously, my workshops and coaching and retreats are available to you but I’m also happy to chat via email or messages. I would be thrilled to encourage your writing journey.

Just find a way to take an action step towards your dream. Maybe it’s a baby step or maybe it’s a big leap, but make that move.

Don’t never mind yourself.

Xo,

Jen