… nature calls, you respond, it is as simple as that. Nature has its way, it does its own thing, striking when it needs to and demanding fulfilment. It is not a respecter of person, time, place or situation. The call comes, you do as biddeth and everyone is happy, you are relieved and lighter until the next call. You are truthfully at the mercy of the call and the caller. Ignore the call and you are in for some difficult time, either you have an accident and embarrass yourself or you become unwell when you hold it in, all kind of health issues, ‘constipation’ in particular and the attendant consequences.
A writer like any creative artist must write to get relief. Beautiful writing is not at the discretion of the writer, the urge comes and the response must follow. We are a servant or slave to the call, doing as biddeth. The timing is not always convenient, atimes we want to sleep, we are busy, but the inspiration comes demanding immediate attention, worse than an impatient and impetus child. When the baby is ready to come out, the baby is ready to come out! One man once lamented to his wife, ‘how come you people always go into labour in the middle of the night when one is trying to get some well needed sleep?’ Well, it is just as it is.
Nature, the call, is disrespectful of our well organised and scheduled lifes, the call is the master, we are all pregnant with whatever we are all called to do and we must understand that when it is time to give birth, it is time to give birth! When the midwife sees the baby’s head, she knows it is going down and rushes into action, ready to deliver a baby, it is as simple as that, no explanation, no dialogue, no conversation, no stories.
Nature does not understand, ‘but I am tired’ when it is time, you deliver. Job captured the moment when he declared, ‘I am full of matter, the spirit within me constrainth me’ another translation states ‘because I have so much to say, I can not keep quiet’ another states ‘…. forces me to speak..’, yet another says, ‘… the spirit of my belly destroys me …’ . Most of the time, we never fully grasp the sacrifices that creative people have to make to produce or deliver the stunning work that we enjoy. The creative energy is intense, potent and can destoy if not given an outlet. Job again said, ‘I must speak and get relief’. It is a MUST! The psalmist said, ‘… my tongue is the pen of a ready writer …’ . The pen of the writer must be ever ready. He must be always packed with a note pad and pen.
I have heard of people who schedule times when they write and this is the only time that do write. I dare say, these are not inspired writers, inspiration works to no man’s schedules. That might explain why truly inspired works are few and far between. The structure surrounding the life we live stifles out creativity and inspiration. There is a level of freeness that is required for inspiration to flow.
The writer is a beautiful soul to be protected and encouraged, the call is a demanding call to be answered by only the bravest.
Protect the writer!
Beautiful Ivory 