writing

Could the Enneagram help you be a better writer?

Originally published May 31, 2020

Could the Enneagram help you be a better writer?

I started asking myself this question earlier this year as I began to delve into this ancient personality typing system that has seen a resurgence of popularity and been thrust in the mainstream in the past few years.

The Enneagram teaches that there are nine different personality styles in the world. Each type has a distinct worldview and underlying motivation that affects how that type thinks, feels, and behaves.

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This Journaling Practice Could Change Your Life

The first time I felt like a real writer I was 19 years old.

I wrote a news story about an affordable housing initiative, pitched it to a newspaper in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, and that paper published my article.

I had my first clip and I felt legit.

But these days I feel more like a writer than I ever have before and it has nothing to do with my byline, with this blog, or with the book I’m working on.

These days I feel more like a writer than I ever have because of my new journaling practice.

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Writing for Wellness

Many health care professionals, from medical doctors to psychotherapists, recommend writing as a way for patients to heal ailments of both mind and body. So, when I learned that See Jane Write Collective member Dr. Millie Jackson led “Writing for Wellness” workshops I was eager for her to host one for the Janes.

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Writing Prompts to Help You Keep Calm and Fight Anxiety

In some ways, I was already preparing for COVID-19 and I didn’t even know it. A self-proclaimed germaphobe, I already had hand sanitizer in every handbag and stashed everywhere in my house. I already washed my hands obsessively. I’ve been working from home since June. And, whenever possible, I was already opting for going for walks outside instead of on the treadmill at the gym.

I was also already using writing as a way to calm my anxiety.

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7 Things Writers Can Do During the Coronavirus Crisis

This isn’t the post I’d planned to write for today. This isn’t the post I wanted to write for today. To be honest, I wanted to pretend the Coronavirus crisis wasn’t happening— not because I’m a bury my head in the sand kind of girl but because I’m dealing with so much trauma and grief in my personal life right now for reasons that have nothing to do with COVID-19 that the idea of dealing with all that and worrying about a global health pandemic seemed more than I could bear.

But as the founder of See Jane Write it is my responsibility to show up. I’m not a doctor. I’m not an official from the CDC. I can’t answer your questions about the intricacies of Coronavirus. Like you, I’m just out here washing my hands, practicing social distancing as much as possible, and trying not to touch my face. (No, I’m not hoarding toilet paper.) But I can tell you how I think we as writers can try to make the best of a horrible situation.

Here are 7 things writers can do during the Coronavirus crisis.

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