“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” ~William Wordsworth
As a writer and blogger, I often feel like there is a deadline somewhere I need reach successfully. In the beginning when I began to take my writing seriously, I often would write for the sake of writing, for the sake of a deadline. I have to admit those were my worst articles ever! Those articles would be so technical and cold.
When I was in the 8th grade, my English professor would often kick me out of class for being way too talkitive. I’ve mentioned before, my nickname all through high school was chatterbox 😉 I loved it too! Although I was never really in class during my english lectures, I scored the highest in my english exams. Seeing this happen for two consecutive years, my English professor sat me down and had a chat with me. He said in his stern but nurturing voice, “You can write! One day I see you becoming a writer and having great impact but only if you focus. Channelize your energy little girl and you will be a force to reckon with. Dont get caught up in the hormones and throw your talent to the dogs.”
At the time I cried buckets thinking my English Professor thought I was a lost cause. But in time as the hormones settled down and I started questioning my purpose…my english professors voice kept echoing in my head and nudging me in the direction of writing more.
Before I started this blog I wrote journals and journals and journals. Then I wrote for magazines and newspapers. But my heart came truly alive when I started writing for my own blog Positive Provocations. Why? Cause I was finally writing about something that was close to my heart and soul.
Today after 3 years of blogging and a lifetime of writing, I still feel like there is so much to say. It seems to be the beginning of something wonderful.
There are 3 ways I make sure my writing remains authentic and heart-centered. Here they are:
3 Positive ways to add Heart to your writing
1. Jot when you feel:
“Wait until you are hungry to say something, until there is an aching in you to speak.”~Natalie Goldberg~
What works for me is keeping a little notebook in my purse. As soon as I ‘feel’ the need to write about something I jot down the idea in this notebook, which I then refer to later when I sit to write. I know many people say ‘I will remember’…but I have lost many ideas to that ‘I will remember’ bug. Today we have many ways to jot down ideas. Technology with its ipads, smart phones etc have a Note app which works well too 🙂 Less paper, more ideas and lots of heart!
2. Real life stories:
“The good writer seems to be writing about himself, but has his eye always on that thread of the Universe which runs through himself and all things.”~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
Most of my best writing comes from my own personal experiences. When I write from my own experiences the writing automatically has life in it. There is a certain heart connection to the words that come out from a real experience. These words not only have life, but have enough feeling in them to touch lives far and wide. And our stories are what make us who we are..Unique!
3. Never lose focus:
“It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer.”~Gerald Brenan~
Ahhh the big focus word I hear my professor say, kept coming up over the years and here it is again. We must never lose focus. Period. Ok life does get in the way many a times. But the essential focus need never go too far. I take breaks from my writing sometimes, but the Big Goal never fades from my mind. When we have a goal that our heart is set on, we WILL make time for it.
I believe we are all writers. We all have a need to write. Be it a journal, a blog, a book, facebook status updates or corporate email. We all write. Might as well do it with heart. Right??
What is Heart Centered Blogging?
Heart Centered Blogging is now a monthly column on Positive Provocations.
Heart Centered Blogging simply means to blog with Love, completely. In this column I’ll share my personal experiences and give you first hand info on how you too can become a Heart Centered Blogger.
I’m opening myself up more to answer any questions you may like me to address about Heart Centered Blogging. Lets put the LOVE back in blogging! I know there is a lot of technical stuff that goes into making a blog, but here in this column I’ll share what I feel works to touch a readers heart and soul, not just tickles their fancy.
What are your thoughts on this topic?
Do you write? How do you motivate yourself to write authentically and with heart? Do share your tips, experiences and wisdom in the comments below. Lets learn from each other 🙂
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*Positive Provocations* 
This post is just the confirmation that I needed. I’ve been attempting to pen this one novel for a few years now. I know what I want to write, but I can’t seem to do it. Yesterday I said aloud, “I will write about me!” I immediately had an awakening. I wrote effortlessly. The content was so real, raw and relatable that even I got goosebumps when I re-examined it! Aloud I told myself, “you can write no story better than your own!” That’s exactly what I’m doing….writing what I know and from the heart. Thank you! Wonderful post!
Hi writer mom(a perfect pen name!),
I love reading that you’re all inspired to write your novel. Its so true that our own story is indEed the most powerful especially in our own words. I look forward to getting to know your writing further.
Thank you for your amazing comment here.
Much love~
for me, its generally an experience in life which inspires a lesson in life. Most of my writings which have emerged from that space of experience, as you rightly mentioned, have touched people. I simply email my writings to a group of friends because I want to share what I learnt. If it might give anybody there in the group a similar insight into their life situations they are facing, then my heart is fulfilled.
Some of my writings are uncooked ideas and I write it and keep that in my own personal journal. Generally, if I feel the idea is ‘cooked’ enough which I can feel it in my heart, I instantly write about it and send it across. These are the ones which has the most impact I observe. Otherwise, I leave the writing to stay on my personal journal to simply help me in self-reflection. Such writings may never get shared, but what it does for me is that it gives rise to a much matured idea later which instantly inspires a spontaneous writing different from the one I wrote in the past, ready to be shared! I haven’t blogged till now on a website, but should be soon doing that, what with my newly embraced role as a life coach!
By the way, I simply love your website, your reflections and your heart and spirit behind your writings are absolutely endearing and insightful at the same time. Thank you!
Hi Shalinism!
Its amazing how we all feel the need to write. I love how you have a group of friends you can share your writings with. Its one of the best ways to stay connected and build on relationships too!
And Life coach..yay! So happy your new role in life is making you so excited. I do hope to read more of your writing soon. If its as awesome as the comments your write I’m sure the posts will actually be better 🙂
Thank you fro your lovely comment here and for your love. So happy you love what I share here.
Sending you love~
Nice tips Zeenat. Slowly but surely I think I am getting there, where I am able to make the ‘heart connection’ with my writing.
Dear Janaki,
You live with heart…how then can your writing not reflect that amazing quality 🙂 The heart connection is already there…you just need to recognize it as you sit to write. Your writing rocks!
Thank you for your beautiful comment here.
Much Love~
Love it- I have been painting each morning- I call this heart centred/intuitive painting, and most morning pen a page at the beach after a meditation- yes it is empowering.
I agree using one’s phone is good for taking notes and I find using evernote a great asset.
I would also recommend the Artists Way by Julia Cameron as a springboard:)
namaste
Suzie xxoo
Darling Suzie,
Youre my shining start! I love your suggestions here.
I’m yet to give evernote a chance 😉
Thank you for your wise and empowering comment here.
Much Love~
“What it takes for great poetry is hunger and passion.”
~Lawrence Ferlinghetti
——————
“And at this place in the ways
I wait for song,
My poem-hand still, on the paper,
All night long.
Poems in throat and hand, asleep,
And my storm beating strong!”
‘This Place in the Ways’ ~Muriel Rukeyser
———————-
And it was the poet Louise Gluck summing up during her portion of ‘The Poet’s View’ in so many words:
‘I am looking forward as to the new material I will have for writing once I becomes ill, elderly and convalescent.’
Zeenat, I don’t know if I will ever have a Blog. I do know that I love the passion of writing a poem. I am well familiar with putting off eating while processing an experience to words. Many times have I risen out of bed in the middle of the night to lay words down upon paper.
I have written poems with inspirational speed at one sitting.
I have written poems that have taken the course of weeks and months.
I have found that my best poetry comes from the truth of actual life experiences.
I have found that my heart is the best guide.
I have lost the inspiration and essence of a poem being written due to distraction.
I have lost the distraction and focused on the truth of the essence to that being written.
I have loved the process of what is being written… of becoming…as being formed.
I have loved the process of releasing what has been written…of liberation…as being birthed, and I am no longer possessed by what was being written.
I don’t believe there will be a lack of material for me if I live to be convalescent. I do know that with my last breath I will not be possessed by ‘written poetry’.
I don’t share most of what I have created, but there are times when I do throw one out onto the wind…
Dear Rand,
When your comments are so mesmerizing your poems ought to be better …way better! You could compile it all into a book Rand. I’m sure the world would be inspired with your heart words 🙂
Thank you for all you teach me.
Much Love~
Dear Zeenat, after going through your post, just felt an urge of sharing an incident that happened to me when I was in 5th grade as well (and you wont believe, that too occurred with my English teacher). One day when I was waiting for my turn to show my home assignment to my English teacher, I never anticipated what was to happen and to my utter shock he instantly threw away my notebook upon seeing it (that too in front of the whole class) and told me to write the whole stuff again and show him the next day. I couldn’t understand the reason behind and was so upset by the incident that I didn’t tell my parents anything about it, but to my extreme horror, my papa enquired about the matter that very night and told me that my English teacher had already phoned him and had detailed the matter and that it was because my handwriting was extremely bad and since he thought I was a bright student, he wanted me to work on my handwriting and that it was for my own good. And believe me Zeenat from that very instant I worked so hard on my handwriting that till date no one has ever complained about my handwriting. Okay, now all I wanted to convey was YES focus is very important, sheer determination helps achieve almost everything (see I talk positive by being in your company).
As I have told you before, writing gives me immense pleasure and you will surely see me writing a blog in the near future (for now fingers crossed……but there are some other prior things to attend to at the moment and thats what holds me back) and yes whenever that happens, it will surely be straight from the heart. And hey I could definitely relate to your 1st point, even I do the same, whenever something exciting comes to my mind, I never forget to make a note of it in my mobile so as to use it later.
Just love reading what you write…..thanks, you sure do make my day!
Loads of love!!
Darling Priyanka,
Hard work and dedication truly works! Whatever your goal…its the best recipe for success. Your teacher was wise and so were you to take his advice.
I’m glad youre inspired to start your own blog! I just know the world need to read your words. When you decide to start let me know and I would love to help in whatever way i can.
Lots of love~
p.s your comment made my day 🙂
Yes Zeenat, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all wrote, talked & communicated from our heart & life wisdom. A nice vision for earth day. Today I honor our great earth mother.
blessings, Brad
Hi Brad,
Belated earth day greetings!
May we honor our heart and its calling every step of the way.
Thank you for your lovely comment here.
Much love~
Zeenat,
I love this quote from Emerson and reminder to stay tuned to the universal message in our stories. Wow, I never knew that you wrote for magazines and newspapers. It seems like you have done everything!
Like you, I try to capture each idea that rises up. And, I write spontaneously when the flow is there. It might just be a very rough draft, but capturing what arises makes it easy to have material to form into a perfect pie!
I love this series. Tahnks for these three powerful suggestions.
Sweetest Sandra,
It seems there is still some stuff we dont know about each other hmm 🙂 Check out the MEDIA page from the menu above…and you’ll see some of the stuff 🙂
I do the same as your when inspiration strikes. There are so many drafts ready to be fine tuned in my wp posts 🙂 The perfect pie ahhh…now I’m getting hungry 😉
I learn from you so much everyday dear one.
So Much Love~
Forgive me Zeenat at the conclusion of this *Earth Day* I found the perfect event to share.
Today I operated a meeting room for ‘The Experimental Biology Convention’ (Biology = Earth)…Right??
Thousands of great minds from all around the Earth 🙂
On one of the walk-in slides posted on the 10 x 17 screen in my room is the announcing of the ‘ASBMB Poetry Reading Contest’ to be held.
To give you a clue as to the subject matter for their poetry let me offer the title of my last speaker’s PowerPoint Presentation:
“INTEGRATIVE GENOME-WIDE ANALYSIS REVEALS COOPERATIVE REGULATION OF ALTERNATIVE SPLICING BY hnRNP PROTEINS”
…well if that isn’t *Down to Earth* enough for ya, let me then offer this:
Thank you dearest for this beautiful sharing. Happiest earth day to you. Much Love~
Zeenat,
As a relatively new blogger, your tips are very helpful. I like the notebook idea to capture stories as they come about. I don’t know how many times something comes to mind, only to have it escape, or only to have to really think hard to recall the story or idea. Thank you for the recommendations! I will put them to practice! 🙂
Hi Victor,
Lovely seeing you here!!
Blogging can be tricky sometimes. To top it all forgetting what to write…makes the dilemma worse. Hence jotting those points down as they bubble up helps immensely.
So glad youre loving these suggestions.
Happy blogging my friend 🙂
Much love~
Enjoyed reading this! Your English teacher was right. You write very well. Keep spreading the joy 🙂
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