Light

                        

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! 

The awesome co-hosts for the January 4 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, Debs Carey, Kim Lajevardi, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and T. Powell Coltrin!

January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? 

Yes, I do have a word of the year. Not just for my writing but as a gentle reminder of how I wish to comport myself in every realm. My word this year is light. In choosing it I did not consider how many meanings there were in total. The word light is a noun, an adverb, an adjective and a verb. That about covers it! So I'll talk about how I wish the word to inspire me during this year.

First of all I want it to inspire me to take things lightly - not be so reactive to things that occur in life. Last year was both intense in joy and grief for me. I want things to be a little lighter in both departments. More peaceful and less roller coasterly. I also want to remember that human existence is full of comedy and though I don't wish to laugh at sorrowful predicaments, I want to be light-hearted. Merry even.

The second meaning of light that I wish to employ is as a verb - to ignite, to light a fire. I want to feel my creativity ignited. That means I must find the kindling to help that be so. I will do that by reading broadly, by remembering my purpose and why I write, or paint, or in fact, live, in the first place. To enlighten. 

In the area of my writing - I definitely write because I want to illuminate or shine a light on various conditions and situations that I would like  to know more about and once knowing want to share with others. I write about Labrador and its indigenous and settler people because I think most folk know nothing about this vulnerable and beautiful wild part of the world. I write about the predicaments that beleaguer the Indigenous of Canada because I think the first step those of us who live lives of relative privilege can take is to be informed of the reality of the world we live in. I write poetry to explore the basic impermanence that everyone lives in. I paint to find out what beauty means to me and then share it with those around me.

One of the adjective meanings is to exert a gentle or light touch. I would like to employ that in my relationships with others. I would like to be more gentle with my views and opinions and generally have a softer approach to life. When I combine this with the others I realize they may be somewhat at odds. If I get all lit up about social injustice, and fired up to let others know or do something about some of them, then I may go against my desire for a light touch.

The light from the sun nourishes all life, but when the light is low and days are short in the northern hemisphere this time of year, it is a good time to rest, move gently, feed our roots rather than stretching out our branches. It is good to remember that light is needed, like everything, in balance with its opposite.

Hope all of you had a restful, nourishing holiday and are ready to leap back into the writing world. Or gently step...