The Day the Floodgates of My Mind Broke Free

I couldn’t stop writing if I wanted to.

My writing the last six weeks was nonexistent except for client work. I was working on a new venture, the Washington Nonprofit Network, and I didn’t have enough bandwidth beyond that and my three other jobs. I didn’t have writer’s block; I simply didn’t have time to write. I didn’t even jot down any ideas for writing during that time, which is rare. I also failed to prioritize my daily writing exercises.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum, er, my desk.

This week, I wrote a magazine article I’m proud of and a blog post, “Everything Takes Longer Than I Think.” And the floodgates of my mind broke free. I couldn’t stop writing now if I wanted to. The words can’t get out of my fingertips and onto the keyboard fast enough. It feels like the dam burst, and the words are overflowing the banks of my mind. I have to find a place for them to go before the creek dries up.

I didn’t even realize my creativity was stalled, because it took another form – starting a business. The creativity wasn’t gone; I just wasn’t exercising my writing muscle. The act of writing released something in my mind that allowed the words and ideas to flow, and it gave me renewed joy and purpose. It’s euphoric to know that my writing has the power to inspire, educate and entertain. It has the power to add a little goodness to the world, too.

It's not that I’m unique. There are millions of writers in the world. In reality, we’re all writers. It’s just that some of us love to write and others would rather clean their refrigerators or scrape gum off the bottom of desks than put pen to paper. In the busy-ness of the last six weeks or so, I had forgotten the immense satisfaction I get when I write. It fills my soul in a way I can’t describe. If you are a writer, artist or other type of creator, you can probably relate.

I am incredibly grateful to have this gift of gab, and I am going to hang onto this feeling as long as I can. If I ever forget it, I have this post to remind me that I am meant to be a writer and to use this talent for good.