Guest Blogger Four: Why I Write

Joan Lambert Bailey

Joan Lambert Bailey is another writer who lives in Japan but she was born and raised in the USA. Her work appears in Japanese magazines on a regular basis. She is especially interested in farming in Japan.She also writes thoughtful essays and fiction.  Read Joan's response to my three questions. 

1.  Why do you write?

2.  What does it satisfy within?

3.  How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

Joan's Response

One of my earliest memories is of sitting at a table in the cool of our basement with an illustrated version of Audubon’s The Birds of America and pen and paper trying to copy the words. My mother paused as she passed me on her way upstairs with a basket of laundry. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m practicing,” I said looking up at her, pen still in my hand.

“For what?”

“I’m going to be a writer,” I replied.

What her reaction was I don’t recall, but my conviction never wavered. Even if writing wasn’t always my primary job, I always managed to weave it into my work. Now, it is my official title.

Writing is who I am, how I express myself, how I find myself, how I discover the world and subsequently sort through whatever I find. I write because I want to share stories of the people I meet and the work they do because words live forever and telling those stories is a gift for the future. I write because stories bring people together when nothing else will. Stories remind us of our shared humanity, open us up to other lives, beliefs, and experiences in a way that nothing else does.

Telling stories well, though, is another thing altogether. I’ve been at this my whole life, and one of the great joys of this work is also one of its great challenges: there is so much to learn. My craft is like any other. It must be cultivated daily, refined, and new techniques studied. It takes practice and time and plenty of reading, listening, and reflecting. I have to challenge myself or I become stagnant.

It is that very practice, though, that fuels and engages me. I write daily, first thing in the morning for about an hour or whatever time it takes to produce three written pages. I write about whatever comes to mind, events of the previous day, books or articles I’ve read, conversations had or overheard. It is invaluable fodder for future essays, articles or pieces underway, or just trying out new forms.

When my Muse runs off and hides, a little more effort is required. Some writers take a break when this happens, but I don’t. Writing is passion and livelihood, so I have to entice my Muse back home. At those times, I focus on the things I love to do and write about: gardening and farming, cooking and travel. I grab a hat and gloves and go to my garden to work, take a trip, or head to the kitchen to make something I crave. My mind roams free while my hands knead dough or stake and trim tomato plants, my Muse comes to see what I’m doing and inspiration returns.

I also hunt for stories that will rejuvenate my interest. I recently interviewed an urban farmer, a chef of a farm-to-table restaurant, and a farmer who teaches others how to save seeds from Japanese heirloom vegetables. By focusing on telling their story well, I remember what it is that I love best about my work and why I am compelled to do it. After all, I’m a Writer

Bio:

Joan Bailey is an American writer living in Japan where her work focuses on food, farming, and farmers markets. Find more of her work at Joandbailey.com or Japanfarmersmarkets.com