I’ve just come away from a three day writing retreat. It will take time to see the lasting impact. It’s a process. Three days surrounded by a genuinely loving, encouraging, supporting group of writers, like my WordPress community here.
It was over lunch with a friend this week that I began to connect to what I’d experienced. She asked me about my writing. She is a writer who is ready to truly believe she is a writer.
“The only way I can write is to be connected to the Dance,” I said, implying a noun. not a verb. “It moves inside me, I can’t ignore it. There’s a nudge, an inner prompt, a stirring. I have to listen and follow or I become unhinged, a bit claustrophobic. I have to create something.” She nodded.
The Dance is of me, but not from me, more like a message I’ve been given to deliver. But I’m never sure to whom. I’ve never known my niche and the retreat affirmed, among so many other things, I don’t have to. No niche. What a relief.
The words don’t usually come without pain. A dancer understands this. And Love is always present. It overpowers doubt and fear.
“Is it like painting a picture for you?” she leaned in.
“A picture may inspire the words, then the words inspire the picture. It’s more about the movement and rhythms within.” Like sap moving within a tree, it’s like this for me.
Beneath the bark of the tree, the sticky sweetness accumulates by the process of photosynthesis. Mixed with water and nutrients brought up from the roots, sap provides fuel for the tree and for others to grow and thrive. Birds come and peck holes to get at it, squirrels break off the fragile tips of branches. Disease can cause the tree’s life-giving sap to drip out, stealing its vibrancy. There’s always something trying to interfere.
The farmer will pierce the vascular transporting tissues by drilling a hole to tap the sap to be collected in buckets just as God can break through the many layers I have accumulated to protect myself.
Writing is like being tapped for sap. We have this Fuel within us, we have Wisdom, but it’s not easy, this journey in. The accumulated layers of perceived protection must be drilled through to get to the truth. All has to be surrendered—all trauma and guilt, the shame hiding there, stubborn will. Fear pecks, doubt pricks.
The Dance is the Treasure, the sweetness of healing and resurrection to be lifted up to lift up another. So we allow the drill to fill a bucket.
Why do we resist? It takes time, this “photosynthesis”, the conversion of Light energy. Water rises from our roots, the work of the Spirit—the Dance. Some say the sap is like the blood of a tree. There must be Blood. And Love.
Pierced by the Farmer, pouring out our true selves, to fuel as we’ve been Fueled. The sweet Sacrifice necessary to transform the bitter. These piercings, the drilling through our accumulated layers, the blood spilled, are just a part of the page.
Because we are meant for more than standing tall and proud like the Maple trees. But like the Maple trees, with their taps for sap and winged fruits, we learn to become an offering.
_________
Thank you, Anne Lamott, Julia Cameron, Jacob Nordby, Sam, Claire and all. To each who spoke and spoke up, you are jewels.
Thank you Unsplash photographers who filled in because our leaves have only just begun to change.
I have followed Julia Cameron through her books for almost 20 years… What a blessing she is.
Yes, to me and you and so so many, Morag. ❤️❤️ I received so much in such a short time from so many. It was an unexpected gift. ❤️
So wonderful to hear that! Wishing you the best time in stillness of heart to process your retreat 🙏❤️🌹
I am intrigued with your description of the journey within to put the words, emotions and depth out there. For me it’s music unheard before but within me…undiscovered by me because I’m usually too busy fishing or something. I don’t think I am a writer yet.
Oh my gosh, Gary. Yes you are! No doubt about it. One of my very favorites in fact. I’m a work in progress. Aren’t we all? I love your feedback. One friend told me I should cut the intro. I’m guilty of combining two or more stories into one and working on this. I was so grateful for her honest opinion. I made some changes. We need each other.
Oh my, Deb. Thank you for this: “Writing is like being tapped for sap. We have this Fuel within us, we have Wisdom, but it’s not easy, this journey in. The accumulated layers of perceived protection must be drilled through to get to the truth. All has to be surrendered—all trauma and guilt, the shame hiding there, stubborn will. Fear pecks, doubt pricks.” I’ll come back to this a few more times. Especially the insight “all has to be surrendered”. Speaks to me! 💕
Victoria, thank you, thank you. This was a bit of a beast to put on paper. I so appreciate that you take time to read and comment. YOU are a jewel. ❤️
Goodness — my pleasure. Truly! I connected with the entire post and especially that paragraph. Like a looking glass offering insight. Thanks to you! 🥰
After so many years of “plodding” along here, as my husband calls it, I am at last making so many meaningful connections. What a joy. I had to come out of my shell. For everything there is a season, right? I had so much to learn. And still do. That’s the best part. Writers never stop learning. ☺️❤️
Yes…and your retreat seems like it was just the thing…helping you find the Dance within. Cheers and hugs to that! 💕
Autumn Leaves – Chet Baker & Paul Desmond Together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgn7VfXH2GY&list=TLPQMjgwOTIwMjNI4W4r0y0VtQ&index=2
My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Psalms 45:1
I love Autumn Leaves. 🎶 thank you, Carlos.
Masterpiece!
❣️
I love this dance, the depiction of a rendition! You painted a picture of the journey. I loved this truth “The sweet Sacrifice necessary to transform the bitter.” Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Tony! Your words mean so much to me. ❤️
Dearest Deb, I am so very happy to see you coming into your own as a writer … who is attuned to the dance within. How appropriate and suitable that you-the-writer and you-the-dancer have come together so consciously and in such harmony! I see you as very basically a bubbling artist who must channel her art in the the way you intuit moment to moment, and this has seemed to manifest a bit differently as you have grown and created throughout your life. Seemed. Through the years, I see you as having attuned to that sacred voice within, which guided you to create your art in different ways in different years. How joyful that you are now gaining new, valuable insights as you work and progress in your writing! Your beautiful soul is an inspiration to me and to many!
Sandra, you’re like my writing angel. Thank you for this lovely acknowledgement of process and growth. Oh that means so much. You are such a dear friend. ❤️❤️
“Writing is like being tapped for sap.”
This is a post in itself; it sounds like something Hemmingway would say.
David, I’m so glad your comment came through this time. Wow. Thank you. It was the last line I wrote after I revised the intro. 🙏❤️
As I recall, Hemingway also said, to start writing all you need is one true sentence. You packed several into one post, Deb. 🤗
Wow, a great reflection from your retreat. I love your imagery, “Writing is like being tapped for sap. We have this Fuel within us, we have Wisdom, but it’s not easy, this journey in. The accumulated layers of perceived protection must be drilled through to get to the truth.”
So good! Thank you!
Thank you, Wynne. ❤️
¹ Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
² My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
³ LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
⁴ Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
⁵ Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
⁶ Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
⁷ Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
⁸ Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
⁹ I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
¹⁰ It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
¹¹ Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
¹² That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
¹³ That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
¹⁴ That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
¹⁵ Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
Psalms 144:1-15
Carlos, if I could only put into words how timely and how much this Psalm means to me this morning. It is a Mystery how God could orchestrate that. But of this I am convinced: our God is all knowing, all seeing, ever present, ever guiding and forgiving, always loving. I have felt so numbed by the war. Thank you for putting the “Dance” back into my spirit. ❤️ We will one day understand.
Romans 15:12-13
The LORD is the plumb line in the Hand of God.
The LIGHT is the plumb line that aligns all things.
It’s what I think.
This post reads like poetry, Deb! Such beautiful, well-crafted imagery to describe your thoughts on writing. You somehow incorporated your grace as a dancer into your creativity as a writer! WELL DONE!
Nancy, you put a smile on my face. Praise God. What a gift of encouragement your words are to me. Thank you. ❤️🙏
https://carlossp1.files.wordpress.com/2023/05/1-corinthians-13.12.jpg
You are SO welcome, Deb!
❤️