My dear friend and fellow writer, Dee, recently commented, “What we do matters.” How often we forget that. At least I do, and I do not think I am so unusual.

I often wondered how many wonderful dreams and ideas are stolen by that one thought: “Oh, what does it matter?” What we’re really saying with those words is: “What do we–our thoughts, ideas, dreams–matter?”

The thought isn’t something that jumps out into consciousness most of the time. It is a subtle destroyer, and fast, slicing through, just enough to cause doubt of ability, or maybe it is hesitation. Or we let doing the dishes, cooking the meal, talking with a friend matter more, so what we are really saying, without words, is: “What does it matter?” to our creative intentions.

I am speaking about dreams that are our particular own, that have nothing to do with earning money, or fame. These creative intentions go deeper–they are the idea for the personal writing, the novel of our heart, or stretching our abilities. Or it’s the desire for photography, or cooking that new and different cake, or making homemade greeting cards, the room decoration, the garden plan. These are the things which become those things that “I always meant to do…but what does it matter?”

I almost did not come up here to write a post this evening. I almost said–“Oh, bag it, who cares? I’ll just watch TCM with Bigstreetrod.”

But then I remembered what Dee had said, and that writing these blog posts matters to me. This particular post means something to me. I’ve been thinking on it for days. I am having my say in these posts. Here I am attempting to practice writing quickly and from the heart, to remind myself of many things I know, and tend to forget, to find myself, to have a whole lot of fun. I am letting my light shine, following what I hear as God speaking to me, meeting other interesting people. All of that matters very much to me, and quite possibly to a few other people.

Everybody is talented, original, and has something important to say. ~ Brenda Ueland.

Another thing I am experiencing with this blog writing is meeting other writers who have read the same ancient writers I have–it was Napkinwriter, who prodded my memory about Brenda Ueland, writer and teacher from a bygone era, who wrote If You Want to Write, A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit. First published in the 1930s, the book remains in print and sells well today. The book has been great encouragement for me for years.

If only we can believe deep in our hearts that we are important. If only we can believe that our ideas are wonderful–as wonderful as they seem when then come shimmering across our minds. Then we would push through to at least give them a try, and so many wonderful things would be written, sung, read to and about, painted, photographed, decorated, planted, sewn, crafted, accomplished.

Let me remember this week, with each spark of an idea that comes to me, that my thoughts, ideas, dreams, and what I do about them matters. And I hope you remember that, too.

Blessings,

CurtissAnn