There’s an odd thing about writing (probably true for any art) – we can do more than we think. When we set out to write something, we think we have to have it all figured out. Then we’ll sit down and take dictation from our mind.
But what I have seen for myself and hundreds of writers is that the mind represents only a thin layer of our knowing. I call it a thin layer of topsoil. What’s below – in our heart, our gut, our essence – is much more rich than our minds believe.
And what’s above – coming from source, the Divine, God, inspiration – is also much vaster than our thinking mind.
This might sound crazy to you. Or perhaps you’ve experienced it yourself? You get into the writing zone. You go into a sort of writing trance. You lose yourself in the words and let it flow.
Later, when you read over your words, you find surprises. Clever turns of phrase. Things you don’t recall writing. Some good stuff. Where did that come from? You have no idea. Your mind certainly didn’t generate it.
I wouldn’t believe this myself if I didn’t experience and witness it thousands of times in my 20 years as a writing coach. It’s the most marvelous magic we spin with our pen, when we surrender to the flow state. When we write freely, we access an intelligence that’s much wider than what we know.
If you haven’t had this experience, have you tried free-writing? This method of writing is the quickest, easiest way to get out of the thin layer of our minds and into the depths and heights of what is possible for our creativity.
If your mind tells you that you don’t know what to write, that you aren’t good enough, that you have to have more figured out before you sit down, don’t be fooled! You really just need to sit down, open a document or grab a pen, and let your thoughts rip. Using a timer and a prompt, write for at least 10 minutes without stopping. See what emerges.
Now, here’s the weird thing. Usually, you won’t “feel” like writing. Your mind will trick you into thinking everything else is more important. That’s why we build structures around our writing so we don’t get lost in feelings or insecurities. We build a writing practice that helps us cross the river of resistance.
There’s nothing that will change your world more than getting your financial act together. Not just the surface stuff like staying solvent. The underside of our financial selves is also driving our actions. Our history, emotions, thoughts and beliefs all contribute to our financial well-being. Barbara Stanny’s books are among the first I recommend for those ready to get financially fit. Secrets of Six-Figure Women is inspiring, and 
I am a Myla Goldberg fan, so when I saw this at the library, I had to get it. It’s the story of a female photographer when photography was just being born in the ‘50s. Another great story about the creative life and what it costs women to be artists.
I have had clients who added book writing to their agenda in the same year that they were either buying a new house, moving to a new country, moving parents out of a childhood home, getting a new job or moving across the country. Guess what happened to their books? They aren’t on the shelves of bookstores. They are sitting in computer files waiting for actual space and the commitment to be written. No amount of coaching could reduce the amount of space those other things were taking in my clients’ lives. It just wasn’t the right timing for them to write their book.
