Create With Purpose Part 2: Reflection & Clarity Kirsten McNeill

Let’s welcome back Kirsten McNeill as she shares with us “Create With Purpose Part 2: Reflection & Clarity.” Enjoy!

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Hello Writer’s Fun Zone! Last month, I shared Part 1 of my six-part series called Confidence & Awareness. Today, I bring you Part 2: Reflection & Clarity.

With every new year or changing season, most of us take that time to reflect on the past. We think about what we accomplished, what we would have changed, and we look to the future to plan for something better. In a busy world, we don’t often take the time to reflect at any other point throughout the year.

I encourage you to slow down and reflect regularly. To think about what you want and if what you’re currently working towards is still top priority.

Life can get overwhelming, and the mundanity of daily life can stop you from pondering the deeper thoughts roaming through your mind.

If you’re struggling to reconnect with your creativity, to get out of your rut and reclaim the dazzling writer status you once had, reflection is a profound activity to bring clarity to your writing life.

To remind you why you became a writer in the first place.

Knowing your purpose will rekindle your creative spark and get you back to doing what you love!

What is your writing purpose?

There are three main categories that a writer’s purpose falls under: inspiration, education, and entertainment.

Inspiration is about lighting the fire in your reader’s belly. Giving them their own purpose and pushing them towards a goal they’ve been thinking about for a long time. To inspire is to create action in the reader.

With your stories, what do you hope to inspire in readers?

To follow their dreams?

To change the world with their powerful voice?

Or to simply remind them to hug their mother today?

If your main purpose is to inspire, you’re eager to create change and help your reader build the life they’ve always desired.

Education is about teaching. Skills, facts, and personal development. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, there is something you can teach the reader.

With non-fiction, you’re sharing knowledge about a time in history or a how-to on making crafts. You might even be sharing personal stories in a memoir format.

With fiction, you’re likely trying to teach a younger audience about friendship or what it means to be an honest person.

Adults are learners too, and there’s plenty they could learn about themselves and their own worldviews through your fiction.

Whatever you’re trying to teach your reader, there is value in it. Sometimes readers pick out lessons that you never intended, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

In a way, all writers are teachers. We teach readers about our perspective of the world and use our personal experiences to help others feel as though they’re not alone.

If your main purpose is to educate, you’re open to sharing your vast knowledge. Often what you’re most knowledgeable about aligns with your passions and personal values.

Entertainment is about…well, entertainment. Sometimes readers are looking for a good laugh. They want to shut out the real world and escape from their problems.

Reading is a favourite pastime for many people around the world. You love books for so many different reasons and the unexpected adventures give you a thrill you cannot find anywhere else.

Entertainment has value. Not everything has to be “practical” or has to change the world to mean something.

If you can make a difference in someone’s life, even for just one moment, you should be proud of that.

If your main purpose is to entertain, you love bringing smiles to people’s faces and filling their days with joy.

What is your main purpose?

You probably resonated with more than one theme, and that’s perfectly normal!

Not everything has to be black and white, choose this or that. When you explore your purpose, you are getting to know yourself. And your true self is constantly evolving based on how long you’ve lived and what you’ve experienced.

Exploring these themes gives you clarity, and brings more motivation and joy into your writing life.

You may know your purpose in your head, but writing it down or saying it out loud has a level of power that thinking doesn’t have. You may think you know yourself, but your thoughts could be based on old beliefs. When was the last time you reflected on those beliefs?

When you reflect, there are no expectations. You don’t have to give yourself set answers and who you are and what you love writing can change at any point. Nothing is set in stone. Your life is everchanging.

Dare I say the only true constant in your life is your passion for writing and connecting with readers.

Reflection and clarity is a long process and is something that can be done on a regular basis. Have fun diving deep into your writing purpose and understanding what you love about connecting with your readers. Be patient, be kind to yourself, and be open to the answers you uncover.

Never forget that you are worthy.

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ABOUT KIRSTEN MCNEILL

Kirsten McNeill is a Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach, Podcaster, and Self-Published Writer. Her mission with Worthy Writers is to align you with your creative sunshine. Connect to your sunflower confidence to publish and share your stories with empowered passion.

Receive 50% off 1 90-min coaching session with Kirsten when you subscribe to the Worthy Writers Confidence Newsletter: www.worthywriters.ca/contact

Instagram: www.instagram.com/confident.kirsten

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theworthywritersnook

Create With Purpose Part 1: Confidence & Awareness.

Book Recommendation: The Creative Alchemist’s Manifestation Method: A Guidebook for Creating the Life of Your Dreams by Melissa Conkling