Do you write within a structure?
By structure I mean things that control where your words go, like group writes: “It’s Thursday. Send in your funny poems.” Structure can be a poem with a predetermined form (haiku, cinquain), or simply a writing prompt that you respond to, like a photograph or theme.
Sometimes, structures provide a house for spirit—your words sheltered in a warm cave, like coming home to a well-lit space.
Sometimes, the structure of demand allows voice to spring free and be clothed.
Too much formation, too much restriction can on the other hand leave behind lines of form with no sustenance. So, be warned: like a bird trained to the hand, one day spirit constrained may become spirit that does not rise to your demand.
What does this mean for your writing? Simply to become aware of when writing to another’s prompt or format works in your favor, and when it becomes a way to avoid the bright words of your own deep truth.
Namaste,
Alix
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