I love this picture! This is my four-year-old grandson, Tyler, picking out his pumpkin at the pumpkin patch. It doesn't matter to him that it's too big, too heavy, or that his mother is standing just out of camera range saying, "Don't drop it!" This is the one he wants, and he's going for it, even though his little arms won't reach around it and he's bent backward with the effort.
In one of her books Annie Dillard talks about the necessity of throwing everything you have into the passion of your calling. When I first started writing, I found I wanted to hoard my ideas. If I only had two good ideas, how could I possibly use both of them in the same story? Surely I should save one of them for the next story, shouldn't I?
But creativity doesn't work that way. I learned, eventually, that I had to put everything I had into the story I was writing at the moment. And when I did that, other ideas came welling up from that deep place where story ideas are hiding. As long as I keep writing, I can never run out of ideas! That truth frees me to do my best.
It's true in other aspects of life, as well, including the spiritual. My pastor recently pointed out that God gives us an example of outrageous generosity, scattering blessings with an open hand.
So when you're tempted to take the cautious route, in writing or in life, I hope you'll remember little Tyler and his pumpkin. Go for it!
Blessings,
Marta
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