Happy Fourth of July! As we celebrate independence, I’m reminded of how writing—and especially writing in the Zone—gives us a huge dollop of that precious freedom.
THE UNIVERSAL DONOR
No matter what our situation, writing can bring joy. Whether we make our living as writers, dabble for fun, or use it to escape, writing opens our hearts and gives us a way to express our thoughts.
It can be a guilty pleasure, a serious intellectual pursuit, a lifeline to sanity, or all of the above. When we write something—whether we hope the whole world will read it or make sure we hide it completely—we do ourselves a favor. We give voice to something, release something, create something, make room for something new to emerge. All of these things are good.
I remember vividly the moment when, as a young child, I first understood that I could think whatever I wanted and that nobody could see inside my mind and read my thoughts. I was probably a bit more transparent that I imagined—but still, that moment was a milestone. It freed me to think bigger, to think more broadly, and to be more of myself.
Today, writing gives me those same freedoms. Whether writing a novel like Chasing Grace that I want everyone to read, or a particular section of my journal that I intend to delete and hope that even an encryption expert couldn’t access, writing gives me the freedom to be and express everything that’s within me.
It almost feels like Thanksgiving!