Sunday, June 04, 2006
Finding Your Own Voice
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit with an old friend I hadn’t seen for a number of years. She was actually the older sister of a very close and dear friend who had moved out of state. She was in fact; a few years older than both of us were and had already graduated from college long before we finished High School.
As we sat there talking about the events in our lives and catching up on what each of us had been doing, I mentioned that I was a Christian writer. My statement caught her off guard. After getting over her initial surprise, she posed the question, “How do you find something to write about everyday”?
Her question stemmed from anxiety over having to write a weekly article for her church bulletin. Even though my friend had been an English teacher for over thirty years, she had great difficulty trying to find something to write about each week. She indicated that she had taken notes while listening to sermons, during bible study and just trying to study the word of God, she found it difficult to formulate the weekly article that was required of her.
I informed her that I found my inspiration in the everyday lives of people all around me, including my friends, my family, and myself. The key was not in patterning yourself after your pastor or anyone else for that matter, but rather, in finding your own voice.
As I made that statement, I was reminded of a scene in the movie “Ray” when Jamie Fox stated in his portrayal of Ray, ‘who is Ray Charles’?, and his soon to be wife, Della Bee, tells him, “if you don’t know then who does”?
What makes each of us unique as individuals is being able to find our own voice. It doesn’t matter what you do in life, whether you are a writer, a poet, a musician or a teacher, each of us must search for that uniqueness within each of us. People have the potential at greatness if we would just tap into their inner abilities.
I admire many writers within the Christian community as well as those who are considered mainstream. I am just as much a fan of Paula White as I am of Terry McMillian. I recently read a book by emerging writer and radio DJ, Nikki Woods. Her book along with others written by the afore mentioned authors were great reads. Each book was a great because each of these authors have found their own distinctive styles of writing.
As we look back at our rich history, you will find many great ones. There were many great Civil Rights Leaders, but only one Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There is only one Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Luther Van Dross, Dr. Ben Carson, and the incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou.
There is only one You.
No matter what your gift, your talent, or your goal in life; always remember, find your own voice!
As we sat there talking about the events in our lives and catching up on what each of us had been doing, I mentioned that I was a Christian writer. My statement caught her off guard. After getting over her initial surprise, she posed the question, “How do you find something to write about everyday”?
Her question stemmed from anxiety over having to write a weekly article for her church bulletin. Even though my friend had been an English teacher for over thirty years, she had great difficulty trying to find something to write about each week. She indicated that she had taken notes while listening to sermons, during bible study and just trying to study the word of God, she found it difficult to formulate the weekly article that was required of her.
I informed her that I found my inspiration in the everyday lives of people all around me, including my friends, my family, and myself. The key was not in patterning yourself after your pastor or anyone else for that matter, but rather, in finding your own voice.
As I made that statement, I was reminded of a scene in the movie “Ray” when Jamie Fox stated in his portrayal of Ray, ‘who is Ray Charles’?, and his soon to be wife, Della Bee, tells him, “if you don’t know then who does”?
What makes each of us unique as individuals is being able to find our own voice. It doesn’t matter what you do in life, whether you are a writer, a poet, a musician or a teacher, each of us must search for that uniqueness within each of us. People have the potential at greatness if we would just tap into their inner abilities.
I admire many writers within the Christian community as well as those who are considered mainstream. I am just as much a fan of Paula White as I am of Terry McMillian. I recently read a book by emerging writer and radio DJ, Nikki Woods. Her book along with others written by the afore mentioned authors were great reads. Each book was a great because each of these authors have found their own distinctive styles of writing.
As we look back at our rich history, you will find many great ones. There were many great Civil Rights Leaders, but only one Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There is only one Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Luther Van Dross, Dr. Ben Carson, and the incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou.
There is only one You.
No matter what your gift, your talent, or your goal in life; always remember, find your own voice!
# posted by Jackie Moore @ 12:12 PM 
