These women will inspire you to write your own story (& love yourself while you’re at it.)
Writing your own story is powerful.
Personal storytelling – writing and sharing our “inner lives” -- can help us move through life transitions, let go of self-limiting beliefs, and find our way into our best selves.
In a way, writing your own story is like Clark Kent changing in the phone booth. (Yes, it’s that easy to become your own superhero.)
But for many women, the villain is not Lex Luthor. The crime is not on the streets or on the top of skyscrapers.
It’s an inner battle. And that battle is really, really hard to win.
For far too many women, the battle centres around the body, and it shows up as body shame, disordered eating, and similar struggles.
This is difficult stuff: deeply insidious, life-draining, cruel.
And yet these very same women – clever, courageous women – are getting into the phone booth.
They’re changing into their superhero tights. They’re putting on their capes. They’re doing the hard work of inner healing, and helping others.
And one way they’re doing it: writing.
Many of these women probably wouldn’t identify as “writers”, and that’s really not the point anyway. They’re on a mission. They’re doing the hard, gutsy work of being honest, exploring difficult territory, and looking for the lessons that will help others.
That’s one reason why writing – taking something that’s stirring inside, and putting it to paper, giving it an existence of its own self – can be healing.
It allows us to see things more clearly. To clarify what we mean, and define what we are searching for. It gives us purpose: helps us share and teach. It gives us a voice.
They’re writing their stories – and they’re sharing them.
Blogging is a great tool to do this. It’s personal – no restrictions – but it is also a little bit public. The potential of being seen helps us to release shame and secrecy. Hello world, here I am!
To inspire you on your own writing journey, I’ve included links to some blogs from women I’ve been lucky enough to get to know a bit. (Thank you, interwebs.)
The list I've compiled here shows how different women are writing their stories as they grow. Each in their own style and form.
These awesome women also have a lot to teach us about body acceptance. (If you are on a journey dealing with body image, emotional eating, or the like, you will really love these posts.)
Read on, get inspired, then go put on your red tights and join the self-storytelling mission!
“What Needs to Stop?” by Megan at Through Her Practice
My favourite bit: “There are times when all the tenderness in the world isn't working. There are times when we need to stand up and say enough is enough. There are times when we need to be tough with ourselves so we truly can live a more gentle life."
Life is like baking cake by Meret at Tiger wants to Eat
My favourite bit: “Did you know that it is impossible to make a cake with a perfect-looking egg? It must have slipped your mind that, to be of any use for your cake-baking proceedings, you need to actually USE your egg… To bring your egg to its divine use, you need to BREAK its shell."
“The other F-Word” by Helen at Nourish Strength
My favourite bit “Your weight does not determine your health or your happiness. As long as you keep believing that it does, you’re putting both at risk."
“1000” by Deb, at Diary of a Mad Art Teacher
My favourite bit: “But you can not disregard ill-advised activities that you have gone through to get to where you are right now. I have done many things that I will not do again, but that doesn't mean I wish I wouldn't have done them.”
“Weight as a social issue”, Kayla, at Goodbye Orthorexia, Hello Life
My favourite bit: “All I can say is, don’t believe the bullsh*t. Imagine they power women would have if we weren’t being held down by society’s expectations of our bodies."
“The best new trick for improving your body image: artspo!” by Kaila at In My Skinny Genes
My favourite bit: “I love my “artspo” because it gives me a window into a past when the unstructured, uncontrolled female body was a thing to be celebrated and not shamed. When health was not bastardized into a “look” by weight loss gurus, pill pushers, and gym owners. When you could have a side roll and a pouchy belly and underarm hair and two different sized breasts and still be cast in bronze or worthy of framing."
“What really happened when I gave up my skinny jeans,” by Kate at Time to Radiate
My favourite bit: “I can tell you that it’s worth it. Life tastes so much better than skinny feels.”
... Well said, ladies. Well said.
Storytelling is for everyone: even if you're scared of writing or don't know where to start! My book can help. Express who YOU are with more confidence, clarity and courage. My digital workbook, Share Your Story, will guide you through the process.
Learn more here: www.camilledeputter.com/shareyourstory