Recently I’ve spoken with two different people who passionately identified themselves as writers. Each of them were absolutely 100% no doubts crystal clear that that was their calling on this Earth, and that writing was a gift to them.
I love to write, and I would call myself a writer because I do a fair amount of it. Yet I don’t think of writing itself as a calling.
I’m curious, do you identify as a writer? What does writing mean to you? Or do you have another calling or identity that you strongly identify with?
21 Responses
Years ago my father called me a “writer.” What??? Huh???
hen he reminded me that my articles had been published in multiple magazines. “What do you think a writer is?”
As a kid in school, writing was this terrible, meaningless exercise I was forced to do. As an adult, it was merely the means of disseminating ideas that were very important to me.
Even though I’ve been blogging for eight years (this Saturday!), published a lot of articles, and have a book coming out next year, I still don’t really see myself as a writer. I prefer singing and speaking to “get the word out,” but often writing just happens to be the most effective venue.
I just share ideas, however it works best in the circumstance!
Hi Alison- congrats on your book! And I resonate with how you’re thinking of it.
I have been thinking about this lately. Up until a couple months ago I would not have considered myself a writer. Then I realized how much writing I had been doing.
Then I began to think about if people paid me to do nothing but write, is that what I would do? Could i make a living as a writer (or rather would I want to) The answer was a resounding NO.
I instead am a teacher of personal finance, who happens to use writing as one of my teaching tools. Luckily I am able to write and and enjoy using that as a tool!
Andrea- that’s a resounding NO, eh? Hah! Great to have that clarity.
That is an interesting question…more so because I just had a conversation about this today. I don’t think of myself as a writer. However, as Alison described, I write to get ideas out there. (Congrats on 8 years, BTW!)
However, people talk to me about my writing in appreciative ways. Not only the ideas in the writing, but the writing itself.
Sometimes people ask me to help them with their writing, which always surprises me.
I do not think of myself as a writer. Like Andrea said, it’s not the thing I would pick to be paid to do. For that I would pick the 1:1 work I do with people. But writing can be a great road to teach and share as well as a tool for personal release.
CJ- it is a great road, and as I said below, I’m with you.
I’m a writer. I’ve written hundreds (thousands?) of magazine articles, along with blog posts, a book, more than 5000 posts in the support forum that accompanies my book, countless emails, Facebook status updates, tweets, and who knows what else. I spend an embarrassing percent of my waking hours typing. Luckily I’m a very fast typist.
I would not say, however, that writing is my “calling”. It’s more my “vehicle”. If I were writing fiction I might consider it a calling, but I write nonfiction. I write as a way to teach people and help people. I consider that my calling – teaching and helping. For me, the written word is just a helpful tool towards that end.
Sheryl- it’s so interesting how much time and energy we can put into something that isn’t our calling- but just the vehicle. I guess vehicles are worth it. 🙂
I started choosing to call myself a writer about 8 years ago. I have been writing poetry for many years, and have just started (2 years ago) to explore a novel. For me, this kind of writing is one of ways I make room for my soul and it’s fundamental impulses to emerge. I feel whole when I am writing.
I also do a lot of writing related to my work (organizational development consulting and coaching), and that feels different. I suppose I am no less a writer when I am writing in that context, but there it feels more like it is a tool in service to the heart of that work, rather than the heart itself.
Tasha- poetry to novel. I cherish writing a novel at some point. I haven’t yet felt the right timing on that yet, but it’s gestating. I cheer you on!
I have written a self-published book, poetry, informal essays, articles, workshop handouts, journal entries, and one-and-a-half songs. Oh, and hundreds of book indexes.
I do identify as a writer, but as one among many identities. I am a teacher, an artist, a musician, an indexer…As Barbara Sher puts it, I’m a scanner–someone who will never do just one thing. I’m glad I stopped trying to find my One Calling!
But writing is a wonderful way of sharing my knowledge, thoughts, and ideas, and I enjoy it very much.
Do Mi- Thanks for that insight. scanner-processor- nice. 🙂 Yes, One Calling can be way overemphasized in some circles.
HI, The thing about writers is that they write.
In 1974, I met Lewis Mumford when I was researching for a thesis. He was about 80 and had about 35 books to his name. He said he wrote every day from 7am to 1pm and then not after that. He said he wrote even when the muse did not visit him.
From 2008 to 2010 I published 3 books with a leading sustainability publisher. I did it by writing as though my life depended on it, as though I were on fire! Maybe that makes me an author and not a writer (becauseI do other things).
When you are really “writing”, I think it’s like running. There’s the “zone” and it’s almost an erotic feeling to be doing what comes naturally and gracefully.
As an editor, I know that we all write differently. Some craft careful sentence and rarely need to polish or edit. Others (like me) fling anything at the page/screen and then edit, edit edit…
I think it pretty much works out the same in terms of time…
Loving it seems to be an important criterion in a definition of a writer, even thought it’s very hard sometimes…
Wendy- so that’s what a writer is. 🙂 I love it- it’s very elemental, isn’t it? And I agree- the work of writing is just that. People come to it differently, but it still requires work.
I consider myself a writer, as writing is how I make sense of my world. It’s how I process, find a has, and come to my own understanding.
I imagine artists process visually, musicians, auditorially, engineers and athletes, kinesthetically.
So perhaps its akin to learning style? All of these are forms of expression and communication, as well. So writing is one way my heart shares itself with the world.
Beyond that, when I write I often feel connected to the Divine. I also feel this when I speak and teach. So writing is another way for me to open my heart; to move beyond my surface fears and challenges and find the deeper self that lies underneath. It’s the doorway to truth, compassion, and love.
That’s why it often feels very good to me – it connects me to love.
In gratitude and love,
Karly
Hi Karly- I get it- writing is definitely a way some people process through things. I’ve read, however, that the way people process isn’t as tied to a particular mode as people think. “Learning styles” seems to be, to some extent, one of those urban myths that when studied doesn’t really pan out. But that you love to process by writing and that you feel connected in that writing is without a doubt very clear. 🙂
After chasing around for five decades trying to avoid it, I have decided, yes, I am a writer. I have had my deepest and most enjoyable experiences in my writing. It is easy for me, and yes, it is what I would do for a living if I had the opportunity. I wrote a short story in third grade, a play in sixth grade. Both were met with “connection” with my audiences. I felt very alive, very secure, and confident in those times. I would love to dedicate more of my time to writing profitably. I am a joy bringer.
Tandy- how fun to read this! it definitely gives me a sense of your connection to writing- that’s helpful.
I share my thoughts with the help of web. If this job done by a writer then i am writer.
Yep, I’m a writer. When I sat down and thought about what I’d be OK doing for hours on end each day, writing was one of those things.
Now? I’m not always so sure. I love telling other people’s stories. But I also want to somehow tell my own.
Writing for me is a way of producing a better life for me and my family. It helps that I enjoy it, my main passions are fitness and traveling.
My favorite site that I write to is my weight loss blog, because I know that the content I produce will help people get motivated and the readers can follow me on my ups and downs of losing weight.