This morning Liz Stires stopped by my cafe table today to say hello. She's a singer-songwriter who's lately begun to really "sing out" into the world.
As we talked about her gig last night, she described how great it was to share her music with an audience that "really listened." Like me (have I ever mentioned that I'm also a singer-songwriter & emerging jazz singer?), she sometimes worries that her own songs are "too mellow" or "not quite right " for an evening's entertainment.
Yet at the end of last night's gig, an out-of-town couple approached Liz to introduce themselves. They effused. They gave her their email addresses, even though Indiana is miles away from the Bay Area. Liz's soulful music was just what they'd wanted to hear, and they wanted to keep in touch.
What's the point? Why am I sharing this music story with you wonderful writers today?
1. Write what you write.
At least at the beginning of your project, please don't populate your mind with the faces of expectant audience members or critical agents. It's important to give yourself space and time to realize your voice on the page--to play around, experiment and realize your own particular aesthetic intentions.
If you choose to do so, you'll have ample time later on to modify your work to suit the market. You may even find, as Liz did last night, that there's actually a niche for your voice, just as it is. You won't know, though, if you don't first give yourself an opportunity to show up as "you" on the page.
2. Write right now.
Hearing about Liz's experience bolstered my own courage and sense of permission about my music. ("Hey, if she can find an audience for her style, perhaps I can do so for my own.")
We're all interdependent.
As a writer, you have an opportunity not only to add your own voice to cultural discourse, but also to empower others to do the same. (Writing that sentence reminds me of my favorite chapter title ever: "Why Women who do too much housework should ignore it for their writing," from If You Want to Write, Brenda Ueland, c. 1938). By writing regularly, whether you realize it or not, you're modeling the creative life for your children, your spouse, your friends, colleagues. You're saying "Yes" to the idea that not all value can--or should--be measured in financial terms.
In the process, when you write consistently, you're also adding to your manuscript and--if you're working with intention and focus--learning and practicing your craft.
Do your work. Write. By doing so, whether you realize it or not, you inspire others around you to do the same.
