Creative Ease – One Prompt at a Time

Aaaaah. Ease. Sounds nice, right?

I know things are insane right now.¹

Personally, I need to be falling back on every possible tool I have that will help me self-regulate, connect with my truths, and release some of what's boggling my mind and weighing down my heart. (Whew, that was a long sentence.)

This photo shows some books by people I’ve been honored to work with over the past 10 years in writing groups and/or 1:1 for coaching and/or editing. Facing outward here is a beautiful handmade collection of poems by Adam Ortiz. He shared these words with me today:

I am excited about this book because Jena's coaching and insights helped me over the finish line when I was writing my first book of poems. “Fierce Encouragement” will be what motivates me to complete the second one. I have always thoroughly appreciated Jena's approach to writing, and now having a book about it feels like a huge gift.

But "Fierce Encouragement" isn't only for people who want to publish books! It's for anyone who longs for more creative ease. (Aaaaah. Ease. Sounds nice, right?)

I mean, it may seem like my new book is primarily for people who like writing. And it is, absolutely.

But liking and ease are not the same. And I hope this book will help you discover more ease in your practice.

It is also for people who have had terrible writing experiences in the past, like a teacher who said something awful to you. (Raise your hand if that's you.)

It's for people who spend more time wishing they were writing (or actively avoiding it) than actually writing.

It's for people who compare themselves to others and never feel good enough.

It's for people with fixed ideas about what a "real" writing life looks like or what a "real" writer should do. (Note the "should.")

It's for people with full lives who end up with an all-or-nothing relationship to writing (where "nothing" always wins).

It's for people who perseverate over every word, or give up because "who needs another story about..."

Each of these examples draws on real people I've worked with over the past decade, privately and in groups.

The reason I started writing prompts in the first place was to offer a way to start, since so often, starting is the hardest part. I also realized I wanted to encourage people to keep going, so that is an inherent part of how I suggest using the prompts in this book. Finally, it really helps to be good to yourself – with writing as with all things – so bringing more self-compassion to yourself is a core part of everything I teach.

“This is a wonderful book! I love how I can pick it up and randomly open to a page and do a little dive in.” ~ Melinda Coppola

Here is where you can buy your copy of Fierce Encouragement, or send the links to a friend you think would appreciate you thinking of them:

Independent bookseller:
store.bookbaby.com/book/fierce-encouragement

Or preorder on Amazon (release date is 3/18):
www.amazon.com/Fierce-Encouragement-Writing-Prompts-Grounded/dp/B0DVFVDNVF

I hope it helps you ground down – and rise up.

1. I started a thread on Facebook asking people to share some of their most trusted, go-to sources of information. Have a look and please add yours.