If you’re going to tell a story, start with the facts as best you know them. Set down what you know for sure, then move on from there. 

Your voice, dialect, the walk-of-life in your speech. They have and deserve no say over your setting words down voice. Your writing voice. Set the words down when they arrive. 

I, for one, know for a fact that sometimes, the only reason a nice sentence of mine reaches the page, was because I managed to stay out of the way. Something deeper down – in me – writes the words. I write them down. Had my conscious mind interfered, the sentence would never see the light of day.

I believe it’s a simple, non-negotiable reality; any artist of any walk of life deserves to strive for. Unflinching honesty. Honesty is your massive ally. Period. It may take you time to discover and trust this. That proves you’re a human being. There are times summoning up an ample supply of moxie may be needed when, well, openly telling someone you love them. There is no overture more honorable, when it is honesty in purest form. There’re are times when some have been so wounded by life, that their capacity to trust, let someone in close, not hold onto the life management patterns that are built in dishonesty. We needed them when we were kids, or younger and not lying meant catching a beating, or god knows what else.

The challenge for many of us is that of disengaging from dishonesty on all fronts, be honest about the missteps. Own them. Apologize. Nothing any of this makes you a bad person. It’s the unhealthy patterns that need to be disengaged from. Which brings us back an ally called honesty.

Honesty is a friend of mine – albeit a bit of a Drill Sgt. friend at times. Honesty is a singular part of my life’s foundation. My life is built on stable ground – the all of my life. Say your words from the soul-soil of your honesty. Tell the story, your story, as best you can, with all your heart if you’d like.

Honesty is also a sanctuary we all deserve. Yes, you too.

For RVP