While I was writing my summer camp screenplay, I noticed something strange happening. Although the story was not really about me, I could see aspects of myself play out in my characters. Whoa. 

My hopes, my fears, my dreams, tragedies and truths somehow wove themselves into the plot. 

Tuna, the twenty something counselor, kept saying dumb stuff to his girlfriend. Glossy, the teen artist/ weirdo girl used her creativity to bend a broken relationship. Teeth, the kid who was getting bullied all summer, finally stepped up and clobbered his nemesis. And Wildflower, the hippie guitar player, found the courage to sing his song to the camp around the huge bonfire.

These are not actually my stories. But they kind of are.

When you write or create anything with deep authenticity and courage, something happens. The creator taps into the deep well of his or her subconscious. This is where the action is. It’s were the truth lies. It’s where the energy of your writing, music, whatever, comes from.

Touching into this is difficult. And scary. But I can guaranteed you, that’s where the gold lives.

I recently learned where the Stones lyrics ‘I was born in a crossfire hurricane’ comes from. Keith Richards was a kid in 1943 when his town was being bombed in World War 2. Between the chaos, explosives and air raid sirens, it was most certainly a terrifying experience. A line with that much emotional resonance always comes from somewhere.

As you create, go in deeper. Find the layers of emotion beneath what you *think* you’re writing about or creating. Let the muse take you where she wants you to go.

In those moments you’ll find something you didn’t even know you were looking for. And when you express it, you connect with the world. In healing, in empathy and in compassion.