345: Overcoming Fear | Azul Terronez

How Living Fully Can Inspire Your Writing with Azul Terronez

The art of writing is much more than crafting sentences or perfecting grammar. It’s a bridge connecting your inner world to the outside, bearing stories untold and messages unsaid. In this episode of the Authors Who Lead, I share a heartfelt reflection on how writing is intertwined with living fully, urging aspiring authors to delve deeper than the superficial act of writing to uncover a more profound personal revelation.

The Relationship Between Living and Writing

At the heart of the episode, I peel back the layers of what it truly means to be an author. It’s not merely about finishing a manuscript or crafting a bestseller. Instead, I emphasize how living fully is intricately connected to the writing process. As many writers might find themselves trapped in endless cycles of doubt, questioning the worth of their work, I suggest that often the barriers we face have little to do with writing itself but rather with how we engage with life. I explain, “Sometimes we can spend so much time thinking about something that we forget to live” — noting how overthinking can paralyze us, preventing us from genuinely experiencing life and, in turn, from writing things that resonate on a deeper level.

Creating from Your Core: The Power of Authenticity

I highlight authenticity as a pivotal element in the writing journey. Rather than succumbing to the temptation of producing something merely marketable or replicating others’ successes, I advise writers to turn inward, asking themselves what truly matters. I share my philosophy: “Write for you. Write what matters to you. Write what lights you up, what ignites your soul, what challenges your spirit to live.” In doing so, the writing transcends being a market-driven task and becomes a voice of personal truth, a testament to one’s unique experiences and beliefs.

Counting Summers: A Metaphor for Intention and Urgency

An evocative metaphor introduced in the conversation is “counting summers.” This concept signifies an acute awareness of time’s fleeting nature, urging writers to act on their passion while they still can. Reflecting on his personal life, I recount how I once measured my life by the summers I had left with my growing children, and now I look at the time left until I reach 70. By this analogy, I encourage authors to prioritize what truly matters: “The summers I’m counting now are about me. I have 14 summers until I’m 70 years old.”

The Artistic Process: Embracing Imperfection

I encourage embracing the imperfections inherent in creative endeavors. I liken the initial draft of a manuscript to a lump of clay, emphasizing that its value lies not in its initial form but in its potential. The true art, I assert, is in the shaping and refining process, acknowledging that failures and mishaps are part of the journey. “Your job…is to push and pull and tug on that clay and form it into something,” I explain, advocating for a hands-on, iterative process of creation where transformation occurs.

Connecting Personally: Writing as a Self-Reflective Journey

My journey from a dyslexic child struggling with reading to an English teacher and accomplished author embodies the powerful message that writing holds transformative power for the writer foremost. My story exemplifies persistence over perfection, with a reminder that every individual’s voice is valuable and uniquely necessary. By focusing on what truly matters, I encourage audiences to unlock this potential, stating, “If you put anything on the page, you’re worthy.”

An Invitation to Live and Create

I invite listeners and aspiring writers to “live your life with wild abandonment on the page,” suggesting that the bravery to do so in writing might just lead to living more authentically in all aspects of life. My message is a clarion call for sincerity and fearlessness in the act of creation, ensuring that the process of writing becomes just as enriching and illuminating as the final product. For those ready, I welcome them to connect, join the “Authors Who Lead” community, and take the first step on this compelling journey of self-discovery through writing.

Join us again next week for more captivating insights from influential authors and publishing experts. Remember to subscribe to Authors Who Lead and visit our website for more show notes and past interviews.

That’s all for this week. If you have a message inside of you that needs to be written, today is the day to start. Don’t delay—take action.