Photo: Ingorrr

Many of you who tune into BNT on a regular basis are not only travelers who contemplate life’s big questions, but you are also writers who get those questions down on paper (or the 21st century version of paper – blog).

I’m sure many of you have also thought about what roles traveling and writing play in your life. Are they hobbies? Are they parts of your life that get you through the 9-6 job? Are they your life’s purpose?

For most of my life, I wasn’t sure of my purpose, or even if each of us have a particular calling.

I now blame that lack of belief on a system that doesn’t want us to find our calling, unless it is to be a doctor, lawyer, pharmaceutical developer or sales rep, or some other job that fits nicely into the wheel that keeps the market going.

Yet, I also believe we live in a time that more than ever before, there is an underground movement gently nudging everyone to find their own joy through some sort of spiritual practice and connection.

So when I came across a short interview with author Jill Jepson on American Chronicle, I thought about how writing is both a spiritual and sacred process. Jepson recently released her book, Writing as a Sacred Path: A Practical Guide to Writing with Passion and Purpose, where she “delves into the practices of four great spiritual vocations—that of the shaman, warrior, mystic and monk.”

Using Intuition to Access Creativity

Photo: Temari 09

The book shares an intuitive approach to writing, using myth, meditation, and ritual to find, or ‘get at,’ the creativity hidden deep inside of each of us.

Sometimes, it is hard to access this creativity when we constantly have to be in our minds (and being on the computer and millions of different websites a day keeps us up there).

Even when we are traveling, attempting to see all the sights – and hit all the nightclubs – keeps us disconnected from this inner knowing. And when we are at home, ideas start drying up; inspiration is, well, lacking. We get frustrated and hit a wall…then, nothing.

But if we can remember there are tools, sacred and centuries-old ones at that, which can help us get over, under, or around that wall, than we can ease ourselves out of that frustration. And, more importantly, we can move away from the question, “Am I really capable of doing this?”

Jepson adds:

Keep writing. I know that sounds simplistic, but I really feel persistence is the key to success at writing. It is at least as important as talent and luck, and more essential than connections. Many writers fall by the wayside because they can´t deal with the rejection—or with the many hours of hard work writing requires. It´s vital to learn how to deal with frustration and disappointment and get back to your keyboard or paper.

So if travel writing, or writing in general, is your calling, don’t give up. Get back on that horse as many times as you need to, meditate on what might be blocking you, and share your experiences with others – the community you build will take you where you need to go, and keep you inspired.

Do you have a recommendation on how to stay spiritually connected to your writing and get through those blocks? Share your thoughts below.