Listen to your heart by Jane Walters

Indulge me for a moment, would you? Rest your hand against your chest and take a deep breath. I would suggest closing your eyes but then you wouldn’t be able to read what I’m saying, so keep them open but try to tune into what you hear. If you’re aware of a b-boom, b-boom, that’s a great start: you’re alive! But that heart of yours can tell you so much more than that…

Ancient thinking had the guts as the centre of our emotions, specifically the liver and kidneys. They must have worked out that they wouldn’t sell many greetings cards with those images on the front, so the heart became the new focus. We feel our pulse quicken with excitement or anxiety or love and, along with that physical change, we find a sense of well-being or discomfort. Our bodies are reflecting how we feel – and attempting to inform us.

Over Christmas, there’s a particular crafting series I love to follow on TV. This Christmas, I wasn’t able to tune in at the right time and I don’t have a Freeview recorder, so I thought I’d missed out. A couple of days ago, I logged into the website of the channel and, after many clicks, found that all the episodes were available to watch. I found myself unexpectedly bursting into tears. I hadn’t quite realised how important it was – and how much my heart was longing for its content.

The next day, an ACW member posted on the Facebook group. It was headed, ‘If you’re an artist, then this is for you.’ It summed up perfectly what I was beginning to tune into in my own life and I think it will accord with many of you, too. ‘This year, I want you to be unapologetic when you create. Don’t apologise for your writing, drawing, music, designs, films, sculptures, cosplays, knitting, sewing, cooking and anything else I might have missed. Don’t apologise for the quality. Stop being afraid of what you can accomplish. You might think you can do so much better. Well, guess what? You will. You’re always improving. But if you start to apologise for the best you can do at this moment then you might restrain yourself, stop yourself from taking risks that will help you… This year, I challenge you and myself to stop doing it.’

What are you wanting to write? What is on your heart that needs to be expressed? I pray you’ll give yourself permission to say it – and experience real joy as you do.

Jane Walters is vice-chair of ACW and the author of Too Soon (Jane Clamp, SPCK). She leads Ready Writers Retreats; the next one is coming up in February. For more info, go to www.janewyattwalters.com