How Spirituality Affected My Writing

As someone who has written numerous staged plays and other writing projects, I sometimes get asked why I no longer seem to do much writing.

Have I given up? Do I no longer enjoy expressing myself through writing?

It turns out I am just fine. Better than fine.

Here's what I discovered:

For one, I no longer identify myself as a writer. I am someone who writes.

Writers frequently write stories that mirror the issues they are working out in their lives.

Consciously or unconsciously, that "issue" is no less than the ultimate search for Self.

Sure, there's another goal involved, like the search for a lost Ark, or to win a boxing match, or even a lost princess (romantic comedies even pursue another to help "complete" them).

The hero pursues when she wants, but in the end she gets what he needs. 

And what is the ultimate need? To need nothing at all. To know that everything you need is already inside of you (which then prompts one to want to give, but that's another story). 

Now that I’ve found myself - or my Self - I no longer feel the desire to explore stories of seeking.

Being relieved of that desire is... a relief! And it's given me more control over my monkey mind, and I have more peace as a result. 

I don't have to DO anything. Just be.

I still enjoy being creative, and I even get to do it for good causes (fundraising brochures, blogging, and creating newsletters for the ashram, for instance). Seva.

Now this is my experience. I am glad there are many great writers who write what they do - I love to read! - and they have their reasons and purpose, and we all need them at many points on our journey. This is my road. 

And as evidenced by this post, I still love to write, so stay tuned.* You never know what a person might might write when they don't need to write about people who don't need anything. I still like to have some fun, after all...

*I'm currently working on a children's play for a family program at the ashram where a character is comically chased around by his ego, represented by another actor.