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What the World Has Done for my Writing

I’d like to think that I have a pure spirit, a good heart and a little bit of a twisted mind. These three combined allow me to write the things that I write, whether they are fantastic stories, emotional poems, or humorous accounts of unfortunate situations I’ve lived through. Not only do I try to write something different at every turn, but working my imagination constantly in a world that’s taught me to suppress any form of creativity that isn’t productive hasn’t been the easiest thing to do. I allow myself moments of peace, reflexion and utter nonsense so that I can find inspiration anywhere, anytime!

The thing that I find sad is that so many of us are handed moments of inspiration, but we refuse to see them for what they are. As a writer, the more I experience, the more options I have to write about. And so I put myself in situations I’ve never been in, hoping to either make a new discovery, or learn what I don’t want. There’s never a bad way to experience the world, only new ways of seeing it.

It’s in this mind set that I came up with the ideas for a number of my stories. In the most uncommon places, I came up with thrilling tales. Sometimes, they were directly related, and other times, they couldn’t be further from the actual situation taking place. The best example of this, is I came up with a story about a few people who get kidnapped and are transported across the country (and that’s all you’ll hear about that until I get it published, and then you can read it for yourself like the rest of the population); but the idea for the story came to me when I was in the Netherlands. My parents, grandparents and their niece all gathered in a van that was used to deliver flowers. We were going to visit our family’s greenhouse, and this was the only mode of transportation that could fit all of us. Still, with all the extra room, there still wasn’t enough room for my father and grandfather, so they sat in the back of the van where the deliveries are stored. As I looked out the window while the rest of my relatives chatted freely, I could hear the faint muted voices of my father and grandfather from the back. And instead of thinking, “oh I hope this isn’t too rough for them”, all I thought was: “I wonder if this is what it sounds like to the driver who’s kidnapped someone”. I know that that isn’t the normal response a person should have, but from that point, the story started to develop itself in my mind, and I had a lot of it written down during my eight hour flight back to Canada.

Though that is one unconventional example, I’ve found that traveling to different places opens up my mind, and allows it to focus on other things. The little things I stress about every day are obsolete, since I can’t do anything about them when I’m away; I’m forced to focus on something else. And since my mind wanders naturally, it often settles on my stories and lets them play out. I’m always able to write a lot when I’m on Manitoulin Island. I got an idea for a brand new story when I was in Iceland. Sometimes, it’s not just the places, but the things you see and feel from traveling to these new places.

What I’m trying to say is simply this: by traveling (local and not so local places), I’ve been able to become a better writer, and gain experiences that have brought me closer to the dream I’m building for myself. I find it a privilege, a blessing and now, a necessity to be able to travel, to better my writing.

So whether you are an aspiring writer, an avid musician, a dedicated artist, or any kind of hard worker (arts not necessary), take the time to move and travel a little every year. You will find answers to questions you didn’t know you were asking yourself. You will be more open to inspiration, and in turn, you’ll be more inclined to notice it when it strikes in your day to day life. We work tirelessly to improve our lives, and that of others, so for once, see what the world is trying to do for you, and let it.

For more tips, tricks and great articles, visit: northernwanderwomen.blogspot.ca

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