Passion–Food for the Soul

It’s not often you witness passion, but I got a firsthand look when in Los Angeles I visited a group of singers. My husband was classically trained for Broadway and the Opera, and although he seldom hits a note on his piano at home, he sings doing dishes, but when he's among other professionals at his level, he lights up.

I see it so well, because I also feel this beaming transformation. Although I don't engage with other writers in the desert, I have writer friends elsewhere, and when I lead my classes, I feel like I'm taking students of a field trip and I become Joan of Arc. A writer will quiver with excitement as they speak and they know the story behind each piece of great work (and there are wonderful stories) and almost fall over from delirium, since the passion becomes somehow miraculous.

One of the things I encourage my students to do is write about their obsessions, but not until I watched Steven with his group of fellow singers am I reminded how important passion is for a writer. For one thing, you want to share your passion and you desperately want to draw the reader in. Much like a performer; they cannot fully enjoy their art unless they know the audience is enjoying it too, and in order for that to happen, they want you to understand the dynamics of the music. Isn’t this the impulse that makes us want to write—the desire to shout, “You have to hear this story!”

Also, passion is big-hearted. Literally, I think your heart swells when you feel strongly about something, and that great-heartedness is the foundation of great writing. Passion is also specific. I don't enjoy writing because I think it's nice or it gives me a title. I adore it because of the specific language and emotions evoked, a gift of spirit, and as an expression of the way my mind works, and in a way that life can be explained. Passion is an energy, that can't be faked, it doesn't reside within an imposter. It it will beckon you to work continuously, tirelessly, with honesty, simplicity and depth–and that is what makes it special.

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terally, I think your heart swells when you feel strongly about something, and that great-heartedness is the foundation of great writing. Passion is also specific. I don't enjoy writing because I think it's nice or it gives me a title. I adore it because of the specific language and emotions evoked, a gift of spirit, and as an expression of the way my mind works, and in a way that life can be explained. Passion is an energy, that can't be faked, it doesn't reside within an imposter. It it will beckon you to work continuously, tirelessly, with honesty, simplicity and depth–and that is what makes it special.s a gift of the spirit combined