Once I reaffirmed why I write, and my role in encouraging others to write, I realized that it takes writing to keep writing. Right?

We have all read the silencing stories, the stunning pieces of journalism, the moving non-fiction collections and autobiographies. There is a lot of really great writing out there to discover. When it came time to create the follow-up piece to my latest article, I wondered how authors continued to write when it proved challenging, even if they knew why they write with full certainty. Words aren't exactly easy to put together. How did they eloquently say what they wanted to say without giving up? Did they ever struggle to put pen to paper time and time again? I'm talking about more than just "writer's block"--I am talking about the emotional journey of pouring ourselves into our writing without draining ourselves of the very essence that gives each word life.

I decided that, instead of trying to write new words about this, I'd let some of my favorite already-written words inspire you with the 10 things it takes to keep writing. (I love quotes so much that I couldn't pick just one for some, so bear with me.) With each quote, I fell in love with words all over again; they helped me remember how to tip myself "over and let the beautiful stuff out". It's hard, but it's so unbelievably important. May you continue to write and never run out of that beautiful stuff we selflessly invest in each word, taking it from inside our souls and releasing it to the world like doves freed from a cage.

1. Purpose

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is a must read for all writers. Lamott encourages us to just take it word by word and to remain steadfast in our purpose as writers.

2. Passion

If you're not passionate about anything, what will you write about? We must live in order to write.

3. Strength

My man Fitzgerald says it so well: it is OK to start over--both in life and with a rough draft.

4. Confidence

This is the quote that inspired my first blog. A little of unabashed confidence goes a long way in writing because sometimes it's really hard to subject our hearts and mind to the world.

5. Community

A little anecdote for this one: I was walking back from my Spanish class and a fellow creator stopped me on her way to class. Frozen amidst lanes of opposite-moving traffic, she wanted to tell me she loved my article that had gone live that morning. The "thank you" that poured from my lips felt incredibly comfortable as if for the first time I received the compliment I've been seeking all my life. I've been complimented on my writing before, but as I have pursued my writing (and begin to consider it my calling/career) compliments like that seem to connect the wires in my heart and made it glow like a light bulb. Writers need communities to encourage each other and give that genuine support.

6. Heartache

I firmly believe that without heartache we wouldn't appreciate the times when our hearts are full. Take your heartache and burn it like fuel, propelling your writing forward. And clearly, Hemingway understood destruction and heartache, even vulnerability.

Re: a long-time coming diagnosis.

7. Failure

In studying Van Gogh this semester for an art history course, it's a miracle that Van Gogh continued to paint. He only sold one piece of his work in his entire career as an artist (granted, he began just 10 years before his young death), but he was OK dying "of passion" than letting his failure stop him from doing what he loved. Let's all take a lesson from Vincent and not take failure as a setback but rather a reason to keep trying, to get better, to hope that we never stop writing.

8. Commitment

Where you are now and where you want to be with your writing--or truthfully, whatever endeavor you embark on--is connected by one thing: commitment. Like Lamott said, if you take it word by word, you'll get there eventually. You just have to be committed to the practice of putting one foot in front of the other again and again.

9. Self-Respect

Ever looked in the mirror and been scared of your own reflection? When we find a writer staring back at us, it's easy to be scared by the preconceived images we have of the "starving artist". If we keep writing, we are acknowledging to an extent that at the very least, part of us is a writer. To let ourselves become who we truly are demands a certain kind of bravery; sometimes the world leads us to believe that a path will not lead us to the tangible desires we crave or the lifestyle we always imagined. Don't back down from who you are in fear of what the world tries to tell you. Respect yourself enough to become who you really are.

10. Faith

Trust that words are more than just ink stains on a page or colored pixels on a screen. Have faith that they can--and will--transform you. In order to keep writing, we just hold steadfast in our hearts the notion that words will continue to matter. Would you keep writing if you knew your words were going to change the world?

So, my friends, I hope you have found the inspiration to keep on keeping on.