The Rebel Archetype and this Practice of Writing
03 Monday Oct 2011
Written by Nicole Rushin in Blogging, Mythology and Symbolism, Personal Growth, Writing
Tags
10 Steps to finding your happy place, being present, blogging as a discipline, Galen Pearl, honoring my rebel archetype, My 7 Links, Practice of Writing, the rebel child, tripbase, why I write
Re-Discovering My Rebel Archetype
The Rebel Archetype resonates strongly with writers and artists and is a powerful player in my collective inner tribe.
I had no idea that being nominated for the My 7 Links Project would bring this aspect of my personality out.
Originally this post was only going to be about the 7 Links Project, but as I started writing new things came up; like the reasons why I write and my angst over pulling out old blog posts.
One of the greatest things about having a writing practice is the process of peeling away the layers of limiting beliefs. Tapping on the keyboard is like chipping away at old bricks, excavating a dig to bring out old things and make them like new again.
I was honored to be nominated for the My 7 Links blogging project by Galen Pearl of 10 Steps to Finding Your Happy Place.
The project is being offered by the travel blog, Tripbase. Many thanks, Galen, for the nomination and to Tripbase for initiating such a great social platform.
They ask each nominated blogger to pick seven of their favorite posts that fit into specific categories and then nominate five more bloggers who might choose to participate.
Here are the categories for the 7 links:
1. Most Beautiful
2. Most Popular
3. Most Controversial
4. Most Helpful
5. The Success of this Post Surprised Me
6. Didn’t get the Attention it Deserved
7. Most Proud Of
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Enter stage left…
The Rebel -
My alter ego and constant childhood companion who sometimes got me into deep trouble, made me feel misunderstood, like a total outcast and basically like a round peg in a world full of squares.
Yes, we hung out a lot as I was growing up and she was at her best in social settings when I should have been minding my manners and conforming to traditional roles not meant for inquisitive questioning children.
She was a why-er and a questioner, she drew funny pictures in church, picked scabs with her baptism handkerchief which terribly upset my mother.
She stared Santa Claus down until he knew she was on to his fake beard, until he knew she recognized his eyes.
She daydreamed in in school and talked back to her teachers. She snubbed her nose at style and refused to take part in her senior class picture.
My constant companion; but the one who also protected me and later enabled me to be discerning of organizations and cliques, to listen to my gut and to stay true to myself at all costs.
When I feel guilty about something I have said or done or if I don’t act in a way that I feel is authentic I know I am ignoring my Rebel.
And because I identify with this archetype so strongly I have decided to choose five bloggers, but not to post my seven links.
When I started fishing around in these old blog posts the first thing I wanted to do was start editing. I started regretting why I had said things in a certain way and dishonoring the process and the truth I was in when I wrote them.
Writing Is A Practice In My Life.
I write for the survival of my spirit.
I pick topics that are weighing heavy on my mind and my heart.
I write because it feels good to twist sentences and words around on the page and they kick me until I do.
I write because it forces me to become present -
Like a yogi going to his mat I must be present when I write.
A person meditates to be more present and fully awake.
Meditation is a practice – writing is mine.
Artists create to connect to the channels that allow them to manifest their gifts into the world -
They are present in their art.
Parents should practice being more present with their children – it is the greatest gift a child can receive.
I write because it validates my autonomy and confirms my freedom.
Writing is a practice of growth in my life and blogging is a way for me to find discipline in this practice.
A writer does not become a writer unless writing becomes a practice and they become disciplined by partaking in this practice.
This is why I write and this is why I blog.
Each post has been a process and merely a stage in my life. I don’t apologize for my changing viewpoints or having said things that I don’t agree with now. It was my truth at the time and anybody is welcomed to go back and read through my blog.
But by going backwards I become a ghost
Haunting myself
Hanging out under the bed of my regrets
Creeping around in the closet of should haves
So, I don’t pick my seven posts. It is not up to me to decide.
For the bloggers I choose please feel free to participate and post your links. Writing serves different purposes to each person.
I believe what they want us to do is respond to their blog post about the My 7 Links Project here, and in the comments add the link to your post about the project. (you will see all the comments when you click on the link)
So here are the nominations for my five blogs:
Invisible Heartstrings by Debbie Lattuga – Debbie is a true entrepreneur who has dedicated her blog to the spiritual aspect of creativity. She consistently shares her breakthroughs and inspiration and she knows how to move through social networking sites. I have been following her blog for over a year now and I love reading her posts. She proudly admits to being a left brained thinker and she offers art classes for people like her to help them connect to their creative right brained side.
Make Girlfriends by Nancy Shields – This is more than a blog. There is a whole women’s connection site and business built around Make Girlfriends. Nancy Shields is muddling through all the red tape to create resources and places of respite for women moving through great challenges and changes. Nancy uses her blog to post about relationship issues and personal growth and I have made many great connections through her blog, including Galen Pearl, who nominated me for this contest.
The Wooly Yarn by Jay Schwartz – A recently made a connection with Jay Schwartz and I consider his blog posts to be well written, entertaining and thought provoking. His blog is like picking up a nice literary journal and I can expect something new and different every time. Good reads – indeed and I see a self hosted blog in his near future.
Fierce Wisdom by Satya Colombo – Here is a great resource for Human Potential. I love his posts where he compiles lists of others who have inspired him. He is a collector of insights, an edge walker and a mighty inspiring writer. He unfortunately shuts his comments down sometimes, but he has a huge twitter following and uses outside social media to spur most of his conversations.
Austin Kleon.com by Austin Kleon – Austin Kleon.com is a blog every artist needs to follow. Add him to your RSS reader or sign up for his mailing list. He is an artists on the edge of social change and his style is unique and un-duplicatable. Be sure to read his post, How to Steal Like and Artist, if you have not read it. And be sure to read your horoscope in a way that surely has never been done before.
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I thank Galen Pearl once again for nominating me, but most of all I thank her for enabling me to dig deep this weekend. Reminding myself why I write has been a catharsis, but reminding myself of the bond I have in my Rebel Archetype has been amazing!
Rebel children grow up to be artists, they grow up to be visionaries, revolutionaries and always non-conformists.
Their instincts are keen and once they learn to trust their intuition they will be guided for life as if by a team of angels.
Best of all they hold in their hand the feather of conviction if we can only teach them to have faith in their path.
If you have a rebel child on your hands talk to them straight because they see through all the shit!
I can only hope that by staying honest with myself and by staying present in my writing that I can offer my readers something of value in their search to live a more authentic life. I hope I have done this.
Writing as Loud as I Can,
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Nicole Rushin is an emerging voice in online writing and a forever student of all things dream…life begins in the dream world, not the other way around. She is the New Media Creative Director for Punch Advertising and offers private marketing consulting and freelance writing services.
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23 comments
October 3, 2011 at 4:04 PM
Wow, Nicole! I’m honored to be included in your list. Many thanks for thinking of me, and for giving me a smile I desperately needed today.
I can certainly relate to the ‘rebel archetype’ and often channel it. Doing so is sort of an exercise in breathing … existentially speaking, of course. I think you said it best with “I write for the survival of my spirit.”
October 3, 2011 at 4:46 PM
Your welcome Jay. I somehow knew you would relate to the Rebel. People sometimes think I don’t want their help or I am being snotty but I always try to honor whether something feels right to me. Going back through all my posts was not doing it for me. I understand there is probably good SEO potential with this but my alexa is hovering at around 335,000 world wide and around 55,000 in the US. I am not so worried about the ranking of my old posts right now. I take small SEO tips every week and try to implement them, but they don’t dominate my writing. Here’s to writing for the survival of the spirit and for the spirit of damn good writing.
October 4, 2011 at 9:09 AM
This is a lovely post Nicole, I truly enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to more posts.
October 5, 2011 at 5:32 PM
Thanks so much, Jade. I hope you do come back and read more.
October 4, 2011 at 9:45 AM
Wow, Nicole, you made me cry. When you see what you’ve created in this world through someone’s eyes, it’s a beautiful thing. Thank you for the beautiful nomination.
Oh and I recognize the Rebel. She is my constant companion. Glad to know she’s a friend of yours as well.
Debbie
October 4, 2011 at 1:05 PM
It is always good to see the work you have done in the eyes of someone else. We get too close to the details sometimes and it makes it hard. Even thought you are left brainer LOL! I know you are a rebel. Keep up the great work, Debbie. I believe there is a great market and a need for what you are doing.
October 5, 2011 at 3:12 PM
Wow, great post. I think that writing is the best way to relax and just to throw all your problems away and to be much more positive.:)
October 5, 2011 at 3:24 PM
Hello Krassy,
I just love the look of your blog. What a creative theme. Yes, writing lets me let go of the oars so to speak ~And to ride along with the currents. Whatever comes comes and whatever goes – goes.
October 5, 2011 at 5:01 PM
I love reading your posts, Nicole. They’re always thought provoking. This one has made me want to start writing to weed out all those limiting beliefs. So thanks for the nudge!
October 5, 2011 at 5:36 PM
I know no better way to do that than to just sit a spell with a notebook and put pen to the clean white paper. Dirty up the page a bit with all your old muck. Nobody but you and the trees and a clickety pen to know your secrets. Which is what I should be doing today. Writing – instead of Google+ ing and Picasa picturing. Great to hear from you MaryAnn!
October 6, 2011 at 10:39 PM
I loved your response! Of course, that’s no surprise–that’s why I nominated you. I had a hard time, too, going back over old posts. In fact it took me almost two months of procrastinating before I finally put my list together!
I look forward to checking out the blogs you nominated.
October 7, 2011 at 1:43 PM
Well that is relieving to hear, Galen. I thought you might be upset that I did not follow their rules. Thanks for inspiring me to muddy up the paper some. Most of the bloggers I nominated don’t even need to be entered in a contest. They already stand daily in the confidence of mountain pose. They are the balanced trees in a forest of unsteady bloggers, but I want to link to good writers and people I truly admire not just to people whom I think need a hand or fair shake. As good bloggers we have to not only offer good writing and good content but offer good resources.
October 7, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Wow, this is sounds like a great linky/idea. I can’t wait to check out new bloggers’ nominated blogs.
As you say, writing out our concerns, worries helps most of the time. I can not come up with better therapy than this.
October 7, 2011 at 1:46 PM
Yes, writing is the best therapy I know. Maybe it would also be good for people who fear the dentist. LOL!
October 8, 2011 at 10:04 PM
“Meditation is a practice – writing is mine.”
Ironically enough, meditating can help a blogger or author in his/her chosen field…
October 9, 2011 at 5:39 AM
But by going backwards I become a ghost … what an accurate and lovely way to describe the going backwards life. To grow up without becoming an adult, is it the only way?, it’s the best way to keep following your nose – forward, forward.
October 9, 2011 at 1:17 PM
Hi Beat,
I love thinking about it this way. It was a realizations I had years ago when I was constantly trying to go back and remember and figure out my past. One day it struck me that I might actually be haunting myself and if I could get out of my own past my past would actually change. It was a cathartic moment in my life. When you change the way you look at something the thing changes -even if the thing is a memory.
October 10, 2011 at 12:21 PM
Very well written article you have here.. This is a great information for a blogger like me.. thanks for the post!
October 11, 2011 at 1:49 PM
Thanks Trishia and thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope it helped you in a productive way.
October 11, 2011 at 12:48 PM
I think we all have a little rebel in us and that ensures that nobody steps on us. Cherish your inner child!
October 11, 2011 at 11:13 PM
Here’s to that Ana. I can tell you are a rebel. You latest post looks interesting. I’ll have to stop by and check it out. Secretly of course, I am on a marketing diet. (life without bread). But of course there are certain bloggers that I just have to follow. I have to see what tricks you are up to.
October 11, 2011 at 6:45 PM
Your posts show how much you love writing. As always I enjoy reading your work Nicole. Congratulations on being nominated. It is really great knowing you’re doing something you love. This post is an inspiration to a lot of bloggers. I hope to hear more from you.
October 11, 2011 at 11:08 PM
Thanks Mark. The theme of your blog is quite interesting. I think most girls are impressed by men who are totally comfortable being themselves. Men who don’t appear to try but just appear to fit in their skin so well.