by Valarie Budayr
I’m not one for perfectionism because it just doesn’t exist.
I really love the journey of reworking my writing and ideas to see how they evolve. The most important tool in the organic writing process isn’t perfection but presence.
By being present, the art and craft of writing becomes less of a dirge and more of a joy. Notice how I said “less of?” Listen, writing is just plain hard work but I love it. Writing has taken a place in my life where I just can not do it.
When I started writing for real,I realized I knew very little about actually writing. This is when I sent myself to a self-imposed school called “life.”
The first step I took was reading books about the writing process. Here are a few which grace my book shelves still today:
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
Fruitflesh by Gayle Brandeis
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
On Writing by Stephen King
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown; This isn’t a book about writing so much as it’s a book about accepting our imperfect selves. Great read !!!
Next I reminded myself what English grammar looks like:
The Pen Commandments: A Guide for the Beginning Writer by Steven Frank
Eats, Shoots, & Leaves by Lynne Truss 
And thirdly, in lieu of actual writer’s retreats, I decided to continue my love of lifelong learning. I started learning and experiencing things I had always wanted to try and then wrote about them. Not a traditional way to become a writer but one I’m really enjoying. To give you some ideas, have a look at our second film in our series of Move, Learn, Eat.
The most important tool in the organic writing process isn’t perfection, but presence.-Valarie Budayr (click to Tweet)
What do you do to be “present” with your writing inspiration?
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