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And the poem, I think, is only your voice speaking."
— Virginia Woolf (The Waves)
— Virginia Woolf (The Waves)
I've been wading in my thoughts about voice, trying to pull them down to earth.
I think this post has been on the tip of my heart for a while. I have been struggling
with devoloping and honoring my authentic writing voice. I know that when my writing is flowing
that I am as I need to be.
When it is flowing not then maybe I am trying too,
hard to be who I don't need to be.
Voice is what gives words and sounds to our heart.
However, when I am worried about affirmation, about standing alone,
I usually tuck in my voice and just say "the right things".
There is nothing wrong with saying the "right things" but when they are not spoken with the passion
of real voice, they are empty things.
How do you go about owning your voice?
P.S. Speaking of voice, Tara of Wise Living Blog, is laucnhing a wonderful e-course, called Playing it Big. It's about women stepping up and owning their voice. Registration closes Monday(today).
it is definitely tough trying to find a strong voice while simultaneously not offending anyone. But at the end of the day you gotta remember why you decided to blog in the first place. was it to please people or to write your thoughts? was it a way to expand your business or a place to be vent and be yourself? as long as you align with your goals; then your voice will come. <3 love the quote!
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point T. It is funny after I wrote this post, I was able to write some more. I think what you say about intentions is right on
ReplyDeleteI think you can blog with authenticity without naming names ... if you call anyone or anything out ... those people know if the shoe fits. I usually let people know face to face how I feel about them and if they read something on my blog they think is about them they already heard it once before.
ReplyDeleteThis was really interesting. I'm not really sure about how to find my own voice sometimes. I think I do it a lot more often now because I've grown. I'm more sure of myself. I have surrounded myself with people that like me for my voice.
ReplyDeleteBut it is so hard in other situations. Even sometimes when I blog I have to hold back.
Thank you for writing this, it was really thought-provoking
Lately I've been feeling more open with sharing my feelings on my blog but still have the fear about offending someone/something. So for now I have my personal journal is a space that no one knew except for me, where i can write with abandon. One day maybe the worlds will collide, but taking a hint from your post the other day - I'm working towards it with training wheels. :)
ReplyDeletei think blogging has helped me find my voice as far as writing. it's definitely been a work in progress, but it seems like the more i put "me" out there the better i feel... and others seem to react the same.
ReplyDeleteand great v.wolfe quote
It's difficult to own our voice and I've definitely struggled with this in the past myself. But one day I think it all just starts to make sense when we stop overthinking it. Because without realizing it, you have a very distinct voice. It's shaped by your personal experiences, your favorite authors, and the things you come across in your everyday life.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry so much about saying the right things: just worry about saying the Keishua things. They have always worked for me anyway ;)
Oh gosh, I totally get both saying the right things and then those moments when I'm totally in the flow. I'm going about owning my own voice, just by feeling it. If I feel it then I know it's honest. If I don't feel it, I give it a moment and write from where I am then follow where it takes me.
ReplyDeletegreat words of wisdom. all the best on your writing.
ReplyDeleteoh, this can be a really tough issue for me sometimes. for me, i worry about not coming off in a way that i'm intending, that somehow what i'm trying to say will be misunderstood or lost. because of this fear i totally over think everything i write and then i end up feeling like i've lost that voice. it's definitely not genuine or even interesting to read. but i guess it's like everything else in life - if you make a decision based on fear, it won't turn out very well.
ReplyDeleteI have come to love Virginia Woolf. I feel she's a brilliant writer. On occasion I still struggle with voice but in the end, my voice comes out when I write with my heart. In the editing process I fine-tune my voice but somehow it's still there.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: how did you get the [Reply to comment] thing?
ReplyDelete@Clarissa DraperI'm just checking it out!
ReplyDeletebeautiful quote. i think being more present in the moment has allowed me to find my voice more because it has allowed me to be more connected myself and not have the labels, fears, and worries to distract me as strongly.
ReplyDelete