We Are Healing Writers

     Most of the people who read this blog would probably identify with being interested in reading and/or writing pieces that have healing qualities. I try to reach as many people through my blog as possible with the healing benefits of writing, and most often with the healing benefits of poetry.

     Some of my readers tell me they begin their day with The Daily Haiku.  I appreciate their dedication to it.

     I also like to advise writers with good tips. One of my favorite pieces of advice is to not limit yourselves to one genre of writing or one poetic form. By writing in several genres, you become a better, more thoughtful writer, and this enhances your preferred genre of writing.

     When I got beyond graduate school, and began teaching languages and writing at university level, I also seriously began my writing career by writing  non-fiction for non-academic publications. I’d write using an economy of words when writing pieces for newspapers and magazines, because general-interest publications, in particular, are short on space. It’s a different writing approach than the often turgid writing that one does for academic purposes.

     I’d been writing poetry since college, but when I began publishing non-fiction, this benefitted my approach to writing poetry, as I transferred my economy of word skills to my poetic pieces.

     Further, when I began writing haiku almost 30 years ago, I found it easy to write using an economy of words, because I’d already been practicing this exercise since my late 20s.

     Show me good creative writers, and they’ll be ones who don’t waste words and don’t repeat thoughts and ideas by using other words.

     In having taught writing at university level, I can say that most people start out as writers with small goals. They will say they just want to write in one genre or they want to publish one book in a certain genre. But, in fact, once they see that it’s possible to write and publish in one genre, they often start expanding to other genres, or as poets, to other poetic forms. I currently write 16 forms of poetry. It was not my goal to write that many forms. One form led to another, often by just reading other forms or hearing of them and experimenting.

    Most of us don’t write just to fulfill ourselves. Our work that we publish isn’t just about self-gratification, but it’s about reaching others. We have something to communicate to others, or at least it should be that way.

     On my blog, as you’ve probably noticed, it’s hard to find any of my creative work. I feature your writing. I’m also a magazine columnist and have a poetry page in a glossy lifestyle magazine called Winnetka-Kenilworth Living in Winnetka, IL. On that page, I feature other poets, not me. I run one poet for each issue – their poem, bio and photo. I also run a piece of art, either a photo that illustrates their poem (that they’ve taken), or if they don’t do visual art, I run one of my own art pieces to illustrate their poem.  My goal is to showcase other poets.

     Back in the 1990s, I produced and hosted a radio poetry program on public broadcasting, interviewing poets, and I also asked them to read their work on the air.

     It’s gratifying to help writers expand their horizons and develop their skills and their publishing in ways they never thought possible.

     If you’ve become successful as a writer, share your skills and teach others. When you create opportunities for other writers, you’ll learn in the process, as new ideas will come your way in communicating with them.

     The latter is my best advice.

     Charlotte Digregorio is the author of seven books including Ripples of Air: Poems of Healing and Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All. You can find her books at the library or you can order them through her with free shipping in the U.S. or discounted shipping in Canada. You can also order her books through e-bay from her Winnetka, IL distributor. Reach Charlotte at c-books@hotmail.com for more ordering information.

Copyright 2023 by Charlotte Digregorio.