I count myself lucky that, from an early age, I’ve found it easy to express myself in writing. At primary school I received consistent praise for my compositions and my confidence built from there.
And even though I didn’t plan to become a journalist, it was a good fit for my natural talents and I learned the craft on the job, becoming a disciplined writer and editor in the process.
I understand that many people who share that natural ability don’t experience the same degree of encouragement and maybe start to tell themselves they can’t write.
Or a careless word from a parent or teacher may have lodged in their mind and henceforth become an embedded belief that they can’t string a sentence together or have nothing important to say.
They may have had a career where writing ability wasn’t important but now they’re running their own business or practice and struggle to overcome their internal barriers to expressing themselves in the written word.
Those careless, undermining comments that lodged in their minds early on are still there. But I believe anyone can overcome that limitation and release the writer within.
Everyone has a story to tell, an idea to spread and a unique perspective to share.
I believe that, with gentle and consistent encouragement, a safe space to experiment and a calm and experienced guiding hand, it is possible to develop your skill and confidence as a writer.
After all, when I started out as a staff writer on the music paper Sounds in my early 20s, I was raw and unformed and it took a while to find my voice.
As a music journalist you were expected to have a strong opinion about everything and I realised I had to give myself permission to be outspoken.
It was only when I had the courage to stand up for what I felt and believed that I started to make my name as a writer.
I had to let go of comparison to other writers and trust my judgment. When I stuck to what was true for me rather than any consensus opinion, my words began to have resonance.
So much so that I would receive letters from readers telling me that my words had inspired them to go and buy a band’s album or see them play live – and that made my heart sing.
Whether you are expressing yourself in the written or spoken word, your language has power. It sends out a vibration into the world. And who knows what ripple effect your words can have if you tap into your authentic voice?
When I was a music journalist, I was a ‘gatekeeper’ – in the privileged position of having my words published. Now we are all publishers, we can all have a platform.
I would love to help you find your authentic voice in the written word and share some of my experience with you as a writer and editor.
We need your words in the world. Trust me.
Check out my new offering – Finding Your Voice as a Writer – a 1-2-1 coaching package. Click here for more information.
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