The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
When embarking on a great project, start where you are with something small. JAPANESE PROVERB
Beth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
It is in letting go of most of our words that we get to the few that really matter.
Beth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
Writing is both sacred and ordinary if ordinary means part of our day-to-day life, and something that anyone can do without any particular training, or money or experience. Yet when we make it sacred in the simplest of ways, by giving it our full attention, we send ourselves an important message about its place in our lives.
Beth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
Breath is a bridge between body and mind. KAZUAKI TANAHASHI1
Beth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
I like writing at my desk, but I don’t make it a condition of writing. I like lighting a candle first, but I don’t make that a condition of writing. I like the rhythm of showing up early before the day begins, but I don’t make that a condition of writing either. While routine and a dedicated writing space can encourage you to write, there is value
... See moreBeth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
When I thought about why I write, I came up with many reasons. I do it because it is how I make sense of the world. I do it because it makes me feel connected in a profound way. I do it because it feels good. But perhaps most significantly, I am a better, more awake version of myself for having written. I feel recharged, and I have more patience, c
... See moreBeth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
I used to lodge with a laid-back Japanese man whose favorite phrase was 気にしないで (ki ni shinaide), which means “Don’t worry about it.” It only recently struck me that the literal translation of this is “Don’t turn it into energy.” Yet this is often exactly what we do with worries. We can get so fixated on a fear-based thought that we turn it into stu
... See moreBeth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
It’s about listening. It’s about opening. And it’s about accessing what lives below the surface so that the ink spills beauty, insights, stories, and truth.
Beth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
When you wake in the night and the world is still, pay attention. When the wind shows its presence by rustling leaves, pay attention. When you take a slow deep breath and feel the beating of your own heart, pay attention. These quiet moments are secret ways in.
Beth Kempton • The Way of the Fearless Writer: Mindful Wisdom for a Flourishing Writing Life
Writing can be medicine for our modern ills. It can be a tool to help us excavate our lives and begin to understand ourselves and others. It can help us grapple with desire, navigate change, cope with stress, celebrate, offer thanks, grieve, heal, and inspire others. Writing can be a means of escape, or a way to arrive fully in this moment, appreci
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