I met a storyteller last fall who publishes all the time. I loved the freestyle and raw nature of it. Sometimes I stick on a piece over and over. It turns into a job to get it done. That’s not what I signed up for. I want to tell stories because I love doing it.
I started with an aim, to use stories to bring people together. And that’s at the heart of what I do. But along the way, I found the person who benefits the most, is me.
It’s like a run. Running is a good example for others to treat themselves well, to take care of their bodies. It’s an activity that’s difficult to motivate yourself to do. But when I run, I love being on the run. I get to spend time outside and clear my head. Writing has become a similar activity.
I’ve been focusing on telic and atelic activities. Telic activities are focused on an outcome, a goal. Running to train for a marathon is done to run that marathon. An atelic activity is done for the purpose of doing that thing. If you’re running just to run, you’re enjoying the activity itself.
I’ve been thinking about how I repurpose my writing from a telic activity, done to publish or for a goal, to an atelic one, where I’m doing it because I enjoy it.
I write in a journal, and it’s a free and easy way to dump what’s in my mind. I work through it and see what’s there. Alongside it, I’m experimenting with flow-of-thought posts here. I don’t know what will come of this, and I’m delighted you’re along with me.
Let’s discover what makes us come alive and do more of it.
