Tag Archives: You Are A Writer

Follow Your Passion

By Ordinary Servant | Published October 4, 2015

Not everything in life is about money. Yes, we need money, I’m not saying we shouldn’t work or be responsible. What I am saying is when we truly follow our passion, money isn’t the motivation, purpose is.

Courtesy of Creative Commons

My wise father once said, do what you love and the money will follow. His passion is cooking, singing and people. If you see my father, you see me. I probably would have followed in his footsteps and taken over his restaurant, if I wasn’t passionate about the arts. I was good in the restaurant business because I love food and people. Yet, the restaurant business wasn’t for me.

My passion was the arts. I spent hours listening to the radio growing up. My mother bought me my first phonograph at the age of seven. I had 45’s and I would listen to them over and over. I would take walks from my house to Sam Goody on Queens Boulevard, where I was introduced to musicians like Al Di Meola, who is a radical guitarist and ahead of his time.

I didn’t realize I had a singing voice until two musical directors from a play I was in, told me I had a beautiful voice. I thought they were just being nice, until my peers started to tell me the same thing. It was then that I started taking singing seriously and found a coach.

In the midst of this, I loved to dance (still do). My mother was a professional dancer, so I started dancing as soon as I learned to walk. But, in order to get into the top clubs in Manhattan, I needed a fake ID. So me and my friends took a trip to 42nd Street and got ourselves some. It was then that I started frequenting clubs like, the Palladium, Red Parrot, Copacabana, Limelight, Tunnel, and much more.

Yes, music is a passion of mine. But so is reading and writing. I started reading books and keeping a journal as a kid. I devoured books and poured my feelings out on to the page. I also started dabbling in poetry, by the time I reached High School, I submitted my poems to the school newspaper and they made it to the front page. I also drew, so I would draw something that would coincide with my poems which was a plus.

But sadly, for years, I didn’t think I was a “writer”. I knew I was an actress, singer, dancer, and artist, but for some reason, I never thought I was a writer. This discovery happened later in life, when I read Jeff Goins book, You Are A Writer.

If you are not sure what your passion or purpose is, I highly recommend reading his other book, The Art of Work. Jeff is a good friend, colleague and mentor of mine. I have watched him do some amazing things over the years. He is inspiration to me. If you don’t follow his blog, I recommend that you do. I have learned so much from him.

If you don’t know what your passion is, you won’t know what your purpose is either, because passion and purpose go hand in hand. I encourage you to explore and discover what your passion and purpose is, because once you do, you will feel fulfilled.

Are you struggling with knowing your passion or finding your purpose? If so, let’s discuss it in the comment section below.

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Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg

By Ordinary Servant | Published September 20, 2012

 

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Bantam (October 1, 1990)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553347756
ISBN-13: 978-0553347753
Price: $17.00
Purchase: Amazon | BN

Description

Natalie Goldberg, author of the bestselling  Writing Down The Bones, teaches a method  of writing that can take you beyond craft to the  true source of creative power: The mind that is  “raw, full of energy, alive and  hungry.”

Here is compassionate, practical, and often  humorous advice about how to find time to write,  how to discover your personal style, how to make  sentences come alive, and how to overcome  procrastination and writer’s block — including more than  thirty provocative “Try this” exercises to  get your pen moving.

And here also  is a larger vision of the writer’s task:  balancing daily responsibilities with a commitment to  writing; knowing when to take risks as a writer and a  human being; coming to terms with success and  failure and loss; and learning self-acceptance — both  in life and art.

Wild  Mind will change your way of writing. It  may also change your life.

Review

I started reading a chapter a day of Wild Mind at the suggestion of Andi Cumbo. Andi is a friend and gifted writer I have come to respect and admire.

An incredible thing happened when I heeded Andi’s advice, I actually looked forward to getting up in the morning to read this book. For anyone who knows me, this is a major accomplishment, because I am not a morning person.

This morning, I read five chapters and finished Wild Mind. I was immersed in Natalie Goldberg’s writing. I love this woman. Her writing is rich and beautiful. She is really a gifted writer. Each chapter brought to life an analogy or personal reflection. I enjoyed gleaning the nuggets she shared throughout the book.

Now, I’m eager to start her first book called Writing Down The Bones.

What I also find interesting is years ago when I was counseling with a particular therapist. I believe it was in my early twenties, she asked me this question, “What do you enjoy doing?” I remember blurting out, “I want to be a writer.” I even surprised myself with that response. She recommended two books by Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down The Bones and Wild Mind.

I bought both books and they’ve sat on my bookshelf untouched for years.

I’ll be turning forty six in three weeks. Yep, I’m an old foagie. You are probably wondering (much like I am), what in the world happened? Why didn’t I become a writer?

Life happened. I don’t know. I guess deep down I didn’t think or believe I was a writer.

Until I met the brilliant writer Jeff Goins who taught me otherwise. I have no idea how it happened, but I walked into an amazing writing community on Twitter.

I started reading Jeff Goins blog, but it wasn’t until I read his book called You Are A Writer (which is free today only), I came to accept that I am a writer. I will always have Jeff Goins to thank for this. (If you haven’t read his book, I highly recommend it).

Jeff Goins will be coming out with another resource in a week, which I’ve been blessed to get a sneak peak, called Tribe Writers. Seriously, you don’t want to miss this online writing course. It’s going to be awesome.

I read another amazing book recently (which I also reviewed) called Let’s Write a Short Story! by Joe Bunting.  He is a deep, distinguished and gifted writer. His writing is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. He has a great website which is also an excellent resource for writers called The Write Practice.

I am thankful the Lord opened doors for me to meet these wonderful people who are great writers and read their amazing books. I have been blessed to learn and grow as a writer.

Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg is a great book which I highly recommend to all writers on any level. There is something for everyone in this book.

Natalie Goldberg lived in Brooklyn until she was six, when her family moved out to Farmingdale, Long Island, where her father owned the bar the Aero Tavern. From a young age, Goldberg was mad for books and reading, and especially loved Carson McCullers’s The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, which she read in ninth grade. She thinks that single book led her eventually to put pen to paper when she was twenty-four years old. She received a BA in English literature from George Washington University and an MA in humanities from St. John’s University.Goldberg has painted for as long as she has written, and her paintings can be seen in Living Color: A Writer Paints Her World and Top of My Lungs: Poems and Paintings. They can also be viewed at the Ernesto Mayans Gallery on Canyon Road in Sante Fe.A dedicated teacher, Goldberg has taught writing and literature for the last thirty-five years. She also leads national workshops and retreats, and her schedule can be accessed via her website: nataliegoldberg.comIn 2006, she completed with the filmmaker Mary Feidt a one-hour documentary, Tangled Up in Bob, about Bob Dylan’s childhood on the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota. The film can be obtained on Amazon or the website tangledupinbob.com.Goldberg has been a serious Zen practitioner since 1974 and studied with Katagiri Roshi from 1978 to 1984.

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Book Review: You Are a Writer

By Ordinary Servant | Published July 1, 2012
You Are a Writer

By Jeff Goins
Print Length: 77 pages
Publisher: Jeff Goins
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 1st Edition April 27, 2012
Language: English
ASIN: B007YJEIAS
Price: $4.99 (Kindle)
Purchase: Amazon

Description

You Are a Writer is a book about what it takes to be a writer in the 21st Century.

Author Jeff Goins shares his own story of self-doubt and what it took for him to become a professional. He gives you practical tips for freelancing, how to get published in magazines, and what it takes to build a platform that brings the gatekeepers to you.

This journey of becoming a writer begins with a simple but important belief: You are a writer; you just need to write. Readers will learn the importance of passion and discipline and how to show up every day to do the work.

Here’s what else you will learn:

  • How to stop waiting to be picked and finally choose yourself
  • What it takes to build a platform
  • Why authors need to brand themselves (and how to do it)
  • Tips for freelancing, guest blogging, and getting published in magazines
  • Different ways to network with other writers, artists, and influencers
  • The importance of blogging and social media and how to use it well to get more readers and fans of your writing

You Are a Writer is a book that will help you fall back in love with writing and make the connections you need to build your brand as a writer. It’s about living the dream of a life dedicated to words.

And it all begins with you.

Review

I have had the pleasure of following Jeff Goins’ blog for over several months now.  I was first introduced to his writing through friends on Twitter.  I was completely blown away.  I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I love every single thing this man writes.

Jeff Goins is an incredibly gifted writer and communicator. He creates what Michael Hyatt calls in his book Platform, a “Wow” experience. Everything Jeff Goins does and writes is remarkable. I have learned so much from him by following his blog and participating in his writing challenges.

One of the things I love most about Jeff Goins is his heart.  He is kind, generous and a servant, which makes him such a great leader.  I am blessed to be a part of his tribe.

You Are a Writer is a brilliant book.  I started to read it and couldn’t put it down. This book goes step by step on how to make “You Are a Writer” a reality in your life. The first step is by confessing, believing, accepting and then acting upon it.

The way I did it was by first looking at myself in the mirror and saying to my reflection, “You Are a Writer”.  I confess I had to say it more than once to let it sink in.  It’s incredible how much resistance I faced with while doing this simple exercise.  Those unrelenting negative voices kept trying to convince me otherwise.

After I did this, I took it a step further by confessing it to the world on Facebook, Twitter and my co-workers.  I was surprised and happy to get a lot positive responses, which was encouraging.

If you ever dreamed of being a writer or if you are one and not really pursuing it, I highly recommend this book.  You Are a Writer will definitely help, inform, inspire and encourage you!

Author

Jeff Goins is a part-time blogger, speaker and author. He works full-time for a nonprofit organization called Adventures in Missions, where he serves as the Communications Director. In his free time, he writes books and shares ideas worth spreading.

Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Jeff graduated from Illinois College with a double major in Spanish and Religion. There, he spent a semester in Spain, which opened his eyes to different cultures and stretched his worldview.

After a year of travel and long-distance communication, he moved to Tennessee to chase the woman who became his wife. In 2008, he married her.

Since 2006, Jeff has worked out of his home, overseeing marketing, communications, and innovation teams from afar. He is passionate about not only telling great stories, but living them, as well.

His blog, GoinsWriter.com, is one of the fastest-growing blogs on the web and is a well-respected resource for bloggers and writers. In 2011, it won the Top 10 Blogs for Writers award on WritetoDone.com. Each month, he receives over 80,000 visitors to his website.

Jeff’s work has been published online and offline in a variety of publications, including RELEVANT Magazine (which has a circulation of more than 150,000 readers), Copyblogger.com (voted by Ad Age as one of the top marketing blogs online), and ZenHabits.net (one of Time Magazine’s Top 50 Websites for threes years in a row).

Jeff and his wife, Ashley, live just outside of Nashville, TN with their son and dog.

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