Discussion Thread #5: Writing for renewal, emotional and spiritual growth, and the value of rest and humor for writers

Writing As Breathing: How Writing Changes Me, a collaborative summer project hosted by Susan Kuenzi, MS

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”

ANNE FRANK

Do you relate to this quote by Anne Frank? Does writing help you shake off fears or sorrows, and find renewed courage, too?

Photo taken by Susan Kuenzi at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, August 2024

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My journal has been a place for reminders of various moments in life. For instance, here’s an entry I wrote in 2015:

I recently got the MRI results from the cervical spine. There were more lesions in the spine than 3 years ago. While that sort of thing is never good news, I am really grateful for His grace and that I am doing as well as I am. MS has taught me that my life is really in His hands and that my strength and sufficiency doesn't come from myself, but from Him. Lord, give me a radical dependence on You. You are worthy of my full surrender and trust.

How do you write down your emotional responses, prayers, or thoughts in ways that you find valuable later?

Do you ever find inspiration for your writing here on Substack from old journals?

How does writing help you process your emotions? Do you find value in reading the work of others that deals with emotional growth?

Is writing a form of prayer for you, or a means to grow spiritually? Does having a written record of your spiritual journey encourage your heart later or strengthen you along the path?

Personally, I like to include journal entries in my writing sometimes to illustrate a point, or to add human interest and relatability to the chapter or article I am writing.

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"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time," John Lubbock.

What role does rest play in nurturing your imagination and enabling quality writing for you?

This morning I spent several hours having a Quiet Retreat along the canal out at Lake Charles. I was reminded that I need rest from screen time and from watching news or using social media. Breaks and intentionality become vital in order to have a calm mind and to allow me to have the deep focus needed to write a book. We live in an age of distraction. Real deep rest allows us to be renewed and gives us time for our imagination and inspiration to percolate ideas. An exhausted writer may have more difficulty being creative and tapping into inner joy.

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. —Victor Hugo

Do you enjoy writing funny stories or memories that you’d like to capture?

Sometimes rather than writing down a funny memory, I record a video or an audio recording. I love using a humorous story as an icebreaker when I do public speaking. If I can relax and engage the audience through humor, I find my groove and gain momentum in my talk and find they are more attentive. Somehow humor heals.

Happy Writing!!

I will be wrapping up this collaborative summer project at the end of August. If you have articles or notes you’d like to submit for consideration, please send them to me by the close of this month. Then as fall approaches, I’ll be highlighting some of the comments and meaningful responses I received during this project in an article series. I have noted articles and related comments and notes I’ve seen this summer in the comments section of the threads, too. Please join in the discussion. You can simply comment on this thread or share links to your articles or related notes on this theme. Thanks for participating!

Here are some links to some of the other articles and threads related to this project:

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