A writer writes.

The last time I posted a blog was in April of 2011. In the last 14 months, I have felt creatively dried up and in need of inspiration. 

Emphasis on felt.

Because that is not reality. I am inspired. Daily. In many different ways. I dream, I envision, and I get fired up about what I could be writing. But I haven't actually sat down to write it.

I've spent many hours in the last year reading blogs instead of writing them. But reading a blog about writing is not the same as writing.

Jeff Goins, in particular, has opened my eyes to the fact that a writer writes; she doesn't talk about writing.

For a long time, I didn't refer to myself as a writer. I always felt that I had to have some sort of accomplishment or acknowledgement by someone else to be titled as such. I always focused on my love for the act of writing, rather than calling myself what I am. "I love to write," instead of: "I am a writer." 

Is there a difference?

What I have learned is this:

Fear is what defines me as a person who writes.

Fear of a bad blog. Fear of bad writing. Fear of failure. Fear of criticism.

Courage is what distinguishes me as a writer.

I am more than just a person who writes.

I am a writer.

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I am on Day 4 of a 15-day writing challenge by Jeff Goins. He is inspiring much in me. Follow him on twitter: @JeffGoins