Change

Change is always difficult. When we move away from the familiar and begin to explore uncharted waters, we must learn to swim or we drown. This is true in most every instance of change. A new job can be an excellent example of this. Sometimes we don't have the time and luxury of learning to swim, so we might swallow some water along the way. When someone leaves us, we experience change.

On a more positive note, though, sometimes change is much needed. Maybe the breast stroke just tires us out too much and we need to try the crawl for awhile. This can be very true in our writing. If you've been part of a web site for a long time, maybe it is time to find another outlet. If you've been a writer of poetry, maybe it is time to try some short stories. This change can be good.

When we change what we do, we are still, of course, influenced by what we've always done. The change can be a source of illumination and call to our attention our trends and tendencies. When we change the type of writing we do, it can make us stronger when we go back to the original. It gives us a new perspective within ourselves. Maybe we can look at a short story and say "what would I need from this story to make a poem?"

Whatever changes we make, they don't have to be big changes. I would not suggest that someone who has written their whole lifetime simply stop writing. That would be wrong. We want writing to be a part of our lives. We want it to be a daily exercise. We also want it to be fresh and exciting. Try to make a change. Remember, though...it is best shaken, not stirred.