A Gratitude Practice For The Creative Writer

Everyone talks about gratitude and how impactful it is for creating a happy, fulfilled life, but what about having gratitude for your writing life?

It’s incredibly easy to forget what a gift it is to love writing. When we feel stuck, or when a project stalls out, or when we’re overwhelmed with self-doubt, the last thing we’re thinking about is how grateful we are for writing.

Usually, in those moments, we’re thinking about what a pain it is. We’re thinking about how difficult writing feels, how untalented we are, how silly and pointless writing can be.

Maybe you focus on how long the road is (“I’ll never get published at this rate!”) or how much you still have to learn (“I know nothing about character building!”), but how often do you fill up on simple gratitude for your writing life?

A quick Google search will give you countless articles about the many benefits of gratitude, but when you actively practice gratitude for yourself, you’ll see the impacts firsthand. Everything from improved sleep to better relationships to lower stress levels.

But today, I’m going to share with you a simple gratitude practice you can return to whenever you need a boost in your writing life, whether you’re feeling stuck or unsure of yourself.

When you focus on being grateful for your writing, the usual “problems” seem less imposing. If you shift from a mindset that only sees the hard parts of writing to a mindset that sees the beauty in writing, you’ll have a much easier time actually doing your work!

All it takes is a little intention. And if you feel like this is silly, sit with that for a minute and ask yourself why you don’t think you deserve to feel good about your writing life. Because–spoiler alert– you do.

Gratitude Practice for the Creative Writer

First, set a timer for five minutes. Open a notebook and respond to this question: How does writing make you feel?

You’ll probably have a mix of positive and negative emotions on this list. That’s ok! Try to focus mostly on the ways writing makes you feel good, but don’t ignore the bad stuff. Writing it down can make it feel less imposing, anyway.

Next, flip to a fresh page and set your timer for another five minutes. Respond to this question in your notebook: How does writing enrich your life, make it better, or help you lead a better life?

Finally, read back through what you just wrote and select one thing you listed that feels the most resonant to you. Write that on a new page and expand on it, focusing on your feelings of gratitude. Where does the gratitude stem from? How does it feel? How does your writing extend beyond yourself?

Here’s an example:

Writing enriches my life by giving me a way to express myself. I’m thankful to know that I can work through any issue or problem just by putting pen to paper. It’s a gift to be a storyteller and to use my creative expression to connect with other humans. In a time when most people feel alone or isolated, I’m grateful to have the ability to create art that makes others feel less lonely.

If you feel stuck with this exercise, maybe try some affirmations for a while and then return to this practice later. It’s ok if you just don’t feel very thankful for writing right now. You can get there, though.

Affirmations for the Creative Writer

I am a writer. (No joke, so many of us need this positive reminder daily. Practice saying this to yourself and to others. You might be amazed at how these four words transform how you feel about your writing.)

I trust myself to write what I’m meant to write.

I am free of worry about my worth as a writer. I know I can do this.

I trust the writing process even when it doesn’t make total sense to me.

I believe in the uniqueness of my voice, my views, and my words.

I write free of reservations and worry. 

I am smart enough to write the story/essay/book I want to write. I’m the only one who can tell that unique story.

Try writing your own affirmations, too. Think of the areas in your writing life where you feel less confident or capable. How would you like to feel instead? Turn that into an affirmation, and hold it in your mind as often as you can, especially when you write.

It’s kind of like faking it until you make it.

This will hopefully help you shift your mind towards gratitude, too.

If you feel capable as a writer, you’ll find it easier to be grateful for your writing.

And when you start focusing on gratitude, your writing troubles will shrink smaller and smaller. This is true for any area of life, but when it comes to writing, feelings of self-doubt can really put the brakes on progress. Shift to gratitude when you feel that start to happen.

You’re in control of how you feel about yourself as a writer. And wouldn’t it just be so much better to believe in yourself? You deserve it.

Tell me in the comments what you’re grateful for in your writing life!