Loving the Writerly Life by Carol Varsalona

My mind wanders down corridors of time, reflecting, wondering when the passion for writing began. Words float on by. I imagine this parade of thought to be like snowflakes cascading onto earth. I wait patiently for words to crystallize. They rise from the quietude of my writing space. Stillness surrounds them. I pause to listen to their thoughts murmuring to each other. Fingers sweep the keyboard. I scroll backward, searching for snippets of thoughts.

Childhood, a photo of winter in Central New York appears. Second-grade noticings come to mind. It was in handwriting class that the need to write with a flourish was developed. I move through time to poetry class in college. A nurturing writing professor supported my urgings to put pen to paper and my photographer professor encouraged my need to be inspired by nature. Moving forward to now, a winter photo sparks my thoughts. My digital notebook comes alive. I write.

  

Writing is an art form that moves consciousness to paper. It is sometimes hidden in layers waiting for the inner self to reveal itself. It is an act of creation and letting go, an unabashed, purposeful lifting of the soul. It can be a messy arrangement of words that need refinement or an elegant rewrite. With faith in the writerly life, my writing uncovers thoughts, processes them, and lets voice fly. 

There is magic in writing. Since I was a small child, I was smitten by the writerly life. I wrote to creatively express myself. But then, there was a time of silence. Daily life intersected. The writing life took on a new form. It became quiet in the face of challenge. Now, I continue the journey, realizing that there is still much to uncover, craft moves to explore, and connections to be made.


Carol Varsalona, ELA consultant has extensive experience as a districtwide literacy administrator, educator, and presenter/staff developer. In addition, she is a blogger, poet/creator of online global galleries, moderator of #NYEDChat, and Wonder Lead Ambassador. Varsalona is dedicated to impacting K-12 teaching and learning concentrating on the development of voice. She can be found on her blog, Beyond Literacy Link, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

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