Journey to Inspiration

I hit a writer’s block in December. By hit, I really do mean collided, smashed, and totaled my little writing vehicle. I like to picture it as a tiny, sky blue Bug with floral bumper stickers.

Early last summer, I created a goal to write for at least 15 minutes a day. I was working on a novel, one I was sure I’d finish, and this goal motivated me to continue working on it. For six months, I successfully kept this goal.

Until I realized I needed to scrap my novel and start a new project.

My cumulation of over eight months of work boiled down into one short story — I’d like to call it a novella, because it was quite a number of pages, but certainly not enough to be a novel — and then there was nowhere else to go with it. I should’ve been proud of that novella, and I was, deep down. But I was also deeply disappointed in myself. I felt like a failure for letting go of a project after spending so much time on it.

My feelings of inadequacy, my desire to crank out a perfect draft in one take, and my longing to be immersed in a fresh new story were the cement slabs of my writer’s block.

Have you ever been in that place? So drained of inspiration, and yet craving the feeling of being inspired again. I believe that inspiration comes from God, just as every good and perfect gift does. But inspiration is a bit like faith. God will help us develop a strong faith, but we have to be willing to do the work too.

To clarify, faith and salvation are two different things. Salvation is all about the work Jesus has already done for us. We don’t have to do anything except desire a relationship with Him and ask for this gift. While faith is a product of our relationship with Jesus, and Jesus is always there with us, we can’t grow in our faith if we aren’t willing to listen to Him, spend time with Him, or obey Him.

Faith requires sacrifice, courage, and patience. We often don’t make the right decision or think the kind thought the first time around. Jesus may call us to give of our time, energy, resources, and comfort in order to follow His will and love others. We may lose friends or opportunities because our priorities don’t align with the world’s. But isn’t it worth it to live a purposeful life, filled with the love of Jesus?

Inspiration requires sacrifice, courage, and patience too. We may endure many long, harrowing nights before we have a writing session where our fingers are flying and our hearts are full of anticipation. Our choices may not make sense to others, especially when we choose write instead of going out. (Though please, my fellow writers, make time to live your life outside of your writing too!) And often we don’t have instant gratification from our work.

But isn’t it worth it?

When I am inspired, I feel closest to God. I feel empowered and determined to use my writing to encourage others and to learn more about the world and myself. Spending time with complex characters makes me in awe of God for creating each of us so uniquely and knowing us so intimately. It is a profound experience that can lead to beautiful creations, if we are willing to embark on the journey to inspiration.

This month, I started a new writing goal, and I’m excited to say that I’ve stuck with it so far! My new writing project concerns this blog. While I love writing encouragement and faith-based nonfiction, my heart is found in fiction writing. I will continue writing these regular blog posts, but I’m also excited to announce that I will be adding a fiction section to this blog within the coming months! I hope that it brings you as much joy as it’s brought me.

No matter where you are on your journey, whether it is your spiritual journey, writing journey, or another journey, I hope you know that you are not alone. Jesus is walking right beside you, eager to help you grow into the person He created you to be.

Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.

1 Corinthians 16:6-7

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4