He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands, his head, and his heart, is an artist.
~St. Francis of Assisi
Since I've been writing, I have learned to come at experiences differently. It used to be that when I'd anticipate a painful or awkward situation, I'd shy away. Now, I try to widen my heart to accept all experiences, just as I hope to embrace all people, to at least understand where they're coming from. For about a minute, this was in the service of my writing, but it was cool to realize, too, that it would make me a healthier person.
Opening my heart to let in influences has enabled me to open it for the opposite flow, as well. I'd like to feel exposed when I read my book. If I don't, no one else is going to want to spend time with it. I believe we read to meet with an author's soul. Of course, the more skilled the author, the less we'll realize that we're doing that.
What has writing taught you about living a better life?
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