Writing Community

By now you all realize that I love to cross-pollinate and it's well-received in our community. Illumination has many readers, but it's the writers I try to inspire.

They are the ones putting all the work in. They are the ones reading and giving. Their positive vibe is essential. And the readers who are not writing will be even more inspired to visit us and read our beautiful work.

So, let's have a look at the positive effects of cross-pollination:

• It starts with giving, receiving comes later. If all our writers read and add thoughtful comments and claps, abundance will be unleashed. And the resulting fruits are for us all
• Innovation is at its strongest when the participants are varied. In nature, it's called biodiversity. In society, it's called diversity. If you limit yourself in your own little corner, with the people you understand immediately, your creativity will never achieve breakthroughs
• Diversity does mean that we need to accept that the other person is different. Has a different view on life. No judgment is very important here. And a firm NO to toxic behavior.

Let's listen closely to what makes someone's heart sing instead of silencing the music

• Listening carefully to the written words as if spoken, can help. And when you hear the other person's enthusiasm let it infect you. Let it flow through your veins and be inspired by it. Something new and illuminated might come out of your pen next time you write
• Triggers by others are very important for our creativity in creating new things. So let's join in writing prompts or initiate some ourselves
• Support is very important because we are all insecure human beings underneath all the confidence. All of us!!! We need to know we matter to start shining
• Cross-pollination gives a positive vibe. Enthusiasm and compassion is what makes the world a better place to live in

One person who inspires me tremendously in this community of ours is Henery X (long). He's honest, he shares his personal stories and he definitely spreads a positive vibe.

He wrote a story about his perseverance in getting a job and then becoming employee-of-the-year.

Later, he gave us his story about wanting to be a T-shirt designer and ending up writing a book spreading positivity.

Henery, you shine!

The poems in our community often touch my heart. And I want to ask our poetry writers to go for quality over quantity. Poetry is meant to be heartfelt writing. It needs to touch our readers' hearts.

So it needs to have touched your heart as a writer before you publish it.

I read many good poets here, but Gurpreet Dhariwal stands out for me. She writes in an inspired way, adding just the right pictures that enhance her work. Love your poems and musings, Gurpreet!

In her stories, I read that Gurpreet has an upcoming book of poems "My Soul Rants: Poems of a Born Spectator"

The spectator-mention makes me think of my own view on life.

I wrote a story about being a player. Being in the midst of it. But at the same time, I'm often a spectator too. I think most writers are. If we wouldn't be observing, we wouldn't be able to write, I guess.

This is the story I'm talking about.

So how do we write with emotion, with passion? Be an observer and be a player? Supporting and inspiring others along the way…

A writing prompt emerges.

Dear sister and brother writers,

Can you please give us an emotional story, a rant if you like, about the lockdown?

Put all your emotions in there. Use all your writing skills.

After you've written it, leave it for a day, put your editor hat on and make it better. Make sure it touches your readers' hearts in every way possible.

Be especially careful with the title. If you need a title editor, you can use this one and the accompanying PDF tearsheet full of power words.

Let's all be professional writers and become better by the day!

One story that is close to my heart and has given me the inspiration to write a view on my life with permaculture glasses on, is this one by Eliot Kersgaard.

Many people think that permaculture has something to do with natural gardening. It has. But there's so much more to it! Eliot, thank you for giving words to the psychological and social permaculture.

I'm a permaculturist. It has given me a view on life that's so inclusive, loving, and future-proof that I never want to look at life differently anymore!

And I'm forever grateful to the Blue Economy for changing my world view. I now realize that we're part of a bigger planet and have to start acting upon this fact. The solutions follow as soon as we start waking up.

We do not RULE the planet. We ARE the planet. Together we thrive!

And everything we do daily matters.

Permaculture and Blue Economy have started a steep learning curve for me. And all the work and writing I've been doing since is the result. My story about how permaculture changed my life isn't ready yet, but it's definitely coming one of these days.

Statistics have never been my strongest point. I'm a word person, not one for numbers. Although I always managed well in my business management environment. I solved this weakness with my own methods.

In Medium, the same applies. The stats don't interest me per se. But Dr Mehmet Yildiz stimulated us to take it seriously. And since then I wrote some pieces about my own stats.

The comments were encouraging. Readers like my honesty. Well, that's the least I can do. Be honest… This is the first one.

And here's the most recent one.

And wonderfully enough, I read many other writers who are sharing their stats now and telling us what works in their tribe and what doesn't. I learn from you all! Thanks!!!

Here is one by Trista Ainsworth.

And I like how she says: "It is not a competition. We are here on this team to help each other, to learn, to grow and to become more of ourselves in the process. I absolutely love to share the joy in someone else's win!"

That's the spirit, Trista! I relate to that!

This time I read stories by Amy Cottreau, Shantanu Kulkarni, Antonio Grasso, Misa Ferreira de Rezende, Blake Lazur, 🦄 Chris Hedges, Eliel Cruz, Jill Ebstein, Kimi Ceridon (kceridon), Alexander Cares, Brenda Mahler, Nicole Linke, Amy Marley, Lilycelle Belarmino Ausa, Tina Morlock, Impact Aisha, Lyndsay Landrey, Sebastian Mueller, Jason Dookeran, Max Klein, Mesut Felat, Selma, Kathryn A. LeRoy, Ph.D., Salam Khan, and many others.

Keep the writing vibe flowing, my friends. See you around!

And if you want to connect, you can find me on LinkedIn or Facebook or somewhere looking at the cross-pollinators in nature…

Further reading

About my book. What a project! And it all started on the day I saw the thread through my stories on Medium. Wonderful how new things emerge when you just start doing…

I have just done a podcast by The Optimist talking about it. My first podcast!!! So invigoring!

And if you now got curious about the author…