Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Writing with Joy

Like a few million other people, I watched the inauguration of President Obama yesterday and came away inspired.

But it wasn't the president's remarks, as fine and uplifting as they were, that inspired me. It was watching Yo-Yo Ma play. He looked so full of joy, and it came to me that this is a man who totally, utterly loves what he does.

Later, as I was writing, I realized that I feel that kind of joy when I'm writing. Whatever else is going on (and trust me, there have been moments when life has not been a bowl of cherries), I feel happy when I write. That's something all too easy to forget when the business throws me for a loop or I get a lousy review, or something unsettling happens in my personal life.

So I'm going to keep that image of Mr. Ma in my mind, and when something happens that upsets me, I'm going to remember that writing makes me happy, the way playing the cello delights Yo-Yo Ma.

1 comment:

Kara said...

Well said, I think life would just get too overwhelming if we didn't do things that we enjoyed.

I love reading - and I used to feel guilty about reading instead of doing something else (like clean house - LOL). But I realized that life was more manageable when I took the time out to do something I really really enjoy - reading.

Thanks to all you great authors out there - without you I couldn't indulge in my passion.