Open Heart Writing - Lisa Boylan Answers

Below is the second in a 31 day series about writing; each day I feature a different person and ask the same three question. 

Lisa Boylan, Senior Editor, Epilepsy Foundation of America 

I became "friends" with Lisa Boylan after I wrote a blog post Living with Epilepsy for 25 Years. Lisa is the Senior Editor at the Epilepsy Foundation of America and we connected through the Epilepsy Foundation's E-communities site.

Two months later, I visited Lisa when I was in Washington D.C. for a journalism educators conference. We discussed how I could use my photography skills to help promote awareness. During that visit, I took the jellyfish photo with Lisa in the background. The jellyfish reminds me of the brain's fragility.

Lisa also encouraged me to write an article for Epilepsy USA. While composing the first person article, I experienced severe writer's block that led to this month's series. My psyche can be fragile like the jelly fish too. 

Lisa's responses reveal her optimism. I also noticed that she approaches writing much the same way that i approach photography. Perhaps if I could think about writing differently, I would enjoy it more.

Lisa's answers follow:

1. Why do you write?
I write because I have to. It is a tremendously therapeutic outlet for me. I keep a journal, I write short stories, I had a blog for a year and I write for my work. My personal writing is the most rewarding in many ways. Writers are naturally very perceptive and intuitive, and so finding a creative way to channel all of those observations and analysis and turn them into art is essential.

2. What motivates or inspires you?
I am inspired by good writers and read them as much as possible. I love the novelist and short story writer, Lorrie Moore, and for every-day consumption I love Heather Havrilesky on www.salon.com. When I am reading really excellent work I try and analyze it so I can learn from it. I don’t want to copy anyone’s style, but often when I read writers like that, they are taking risks. They aren’t afraid to write about anything—they just get it out. I also love Henry Miller. He taught me that you can write without fear and inhibition.

3 How do you get past writer's block?
Writer’s block is a manifestation of self-doubt and procrastination and the constant inner editor voice. The one writing exercise I have found to be invaluable is to just put the pen to page and write, without lifting the pen—or I put my fingers on the keyboard and just type. The faster I write, the better I can outrun that pesky editor inside who is always saying: This is no good.

Lisa Boylan, Senior Editor, Epilepsy USA Magazine

To learn more about Lisa's work, visit the Epilepsy Foundation's website at http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsyusa/magazine/Issue1-2010/index.cfm

Lisa also writes and monitors the Epilepsy Foundation' e-community site at http://epilepsyfoundation.ning.com/

Lisa also maintains a blog at Salon.com in their Open Salon.

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