Dear Tiffany,
It’s all metaphors forever.
When the mean inner voices tell you you’re not a real writer, just remind them that you can’t even tend to your plants without turning it into a metaphor, and while it’s true that someone could be a storyteller without being a writer, it’s also true that you are a writer because you are a storyteller.
It’s important to remember who you are.
It’s important to believe yourself about who you are.
And because you’re committing to believing yourself, it’s important to tell yourself true and wholehearted stories about who you are.
You are a writer, and that is a true and wholehearted story. You can tell it’s true by the way it feels in your body – the yes of the deep inhale and sighing exhale, the feel of it in your hips and shoulders. The way it flows and feels, certainly not comfortable in moments of self-doubt, but right.
You can tell that the other story, the “I’m a fake” story, isn’t true or wholehearted because of how it feels in your body, too. The way it tightens and sticks, the way you latch onto it and gnaw on it and can’t let it go, because it is a foreign object and not a part of your wholehearted self. You used to think that the sticking and the gnawing meant it was more true, but now you can tell the difference and feel the yes-ness and no-ness of a story, a lot of the time.
You can trust your body to tell you when the story is true, most of the time. You can trust your body to tell you when the story is true when you are approaching your body with awareness and compassion and intention, is more accurate.
There are lots of other things to say tonight, but it’s okay to stop here, and go make some tea, and relax until the kids are asleep. Maybe read a book. That is a very writerly pursuit, and one you haven’t made time for much lately, and would be good self-care.
I love you, Writer Self.
Love,
Me