Wednesday, February 22, 2017

4 Benefits of Crafting Your Writer's & Reader's Autobiography

The New Moon on February 26 calls for planting new seed thoughts that will then become the harvest of your life. The New Moon is like a blank celestial blackboard calling you to write new words and intentions. Why not craft a Writer’s & Reader’s Autobiography?

Take a moment to reflect and assess the words you now use to describe yourself. Start by answering these five questions:
What adjectives do you use to describe yourself, business, and brand?
What does the current description on your website or social media sites say?
How does the bio for your blog or author’s description read?
How do you introduce yourself to strangers or new clients?
How do you now answer the question, “Who are you?”

Do your answers feel true, accurate, aligned, and dynamically descriptive?

The questions above came from yesterday's re-reading of my author’s bio in the newly released book, 365 Life Shifts: Pivotal Moments that Changed Everything.
Yikes! I thought. That’s not entirely accurate anymore.
My vision, focus, and I have changed since submitting this 50-word bio last August to my publishers.

Re-reading one of my three stories in the book also jolted me. I had forgotten parts of the 2008 story that reminded me of who I am. Here’s an excerpt from “Soaring in the Andes”:
 “Little by little, one walks far.”
- Peruvian proverb
If someone asked, “Do you know who you are?” what would you say? Would you list your driver’s license information, job title, graduation degree, or favorite hobbies? The answers are as unlimited as the blue skies over the Andes Mountains. As children of the Pachamama (Mother Earth), we are always changing, responding to the windswept questions and the circumstances around us.

It was freeing to give my ego a rest that crisp, sunlit morning many years ago. I shared a rock bench with Don Jorge Luis Delgado, a new shaman friend and my co-leader of our Peruvian church tour. He had just completed a cleansing ceremony. In his tradition, he burned Palo Santo wood and stoked it with his impressive feather fan with a silver and gemstone hilt.

We silently watched group members complete their releasing rituals at the sacred portal, the Doorway of Aramu Muru. Unexpectedly, he turned to me. Then, from his shamanic fan, he pulled out and handed me a shiny, black condor feather – the sacred bird of the Incas, the great messenger who holds the “big vision” for our world.

“Do you know who you are?” he softly asked.
I paused and whispered, “No.”
Louder, he said, “You are a chacaruna – a bridgekeeper – and it’s your job to connect people here on Earth to their Heaven.”

This prompted me to re-read other places where I described myself. Again, my responses included “Not me anymore. Somewhat accurate. What was I thinking? Too many words.”

Gulp. 
It’s time to edit and rewrite my self-descriptions to better reflect WHO I NOW AM.
Enter the idea and desire to write a new Writer’s & Reader’s Autobiography.

Consider the 4 Benefits of Crafting Your Writer’s & Reader’s Autobiography:

Unearthing word gold.
In this spiritual archeological writing dig, you can write everything! More is better this time. You’re telling your story and not someone else’s. There’s no need for self-editing. The unearthed treasure of writing and reading memories might include your books, ideas for books plus favorite books and authors. Include your adventures of hopes, dreams, events, and more! This allows you to see patterns and threads that can be captured in new, more accurate self-descriptions.

Having fun!
Using the metaphor of the spiritual archeological writing dig, go somewhere fun and different (like a retreat) where you can enjoy the organic, unfolding process that writing an autobiography brings about. Can’t go on a retreat? Find a place outside to write or visit a place of creative inspiration—maybe the zoo or a museum. This is not a one-night homework assignment to complete. And it doesn’t have a deadline unless you give yourself one.

Leaving a legacy.
This autobiography becomes a living document. Each quarter schedule time to add to your Writer’s & Reader’s Autobiography.  Be sure to reflect and then review it when writing your New You, New Year’s Intentions.

Clarifying Who You Are Now.
You’re always changing unless you’re dead. And so you might change your self-descriptions. The ongoing process of this spiritual archeological writing dig will unearth word gold, provide fun, and leave a legacy. It will also provide you with continuous clarity to better answer the question, “Do you know who you are?”

Thank you in advance for liking this blog post and sharing why you would now write a Writer's & Reader's Autobiography. Which benefit most inspired you? Thank you also for Tweeting or sharing!


P.S. We’ll be crafting a Writer’s & Reader’s Autobiography at the Treasure Island Beach Writer’s Retreat: Recharge Your Body, Mind & Creative Soul, April 23-28. Expect more creative writing projects like this reinforced with art! Claim one of the few remaining sacred spaces now as the early pricing closes, Thursday, February 23.


Copyright Lore Raymond, 2017. No portion of the blog post or information on this site may be reprinted, re-used or copied to another site without prior written permission from the author.

7 comments:

  1. Lovely Lore. And how true that we are continuously evolving and so we would want our story, our autobiography to do the same. What a nice process to implement and I'm sure your retreat will be the perfect setting to help people get in touch with this place within. Thanks for a great article.

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  2. What a wonderful summary!This was just what I needed. Thank you so much, Lore!

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  3. Loved this post. Ready to start my own dig!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you as always, Barb, for your support! Let me know how your spiritual archeological writing dig goes...after the snow leaves. lol

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  4. Okay, the thought of hands and a floating brain without a body is rather unusual if not grotesque for some.spin rewriter 7.0

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