In my last article in this series, Why So Many INFJ and INFP Writers Have Problems Using Their Intuition in Writing, I talked about how difficult it can be to listen to your intuition sometimes, and how hard it can be to tell the difference between fear and intuition.
In fact, this is one of the most commonly asked questions I get from clients and students. In both cases, fear and intuition feel like a strong urge or nudge to take action or go in a certain direction. Both can also feel pressing, necessary, and very immediate. For those who don’t have a lot of practice in accessing their intuition or listening to it, it can feel impossible to tell the difference on whether these inner signals are coming from a place of fear, or if they belong to that small, still voice within that will never steer you wrong.
This can be particularly tough for writers. Should your character really take that next step in the timeline, or are you just pushing them ahead because you feel panicky about the lack of progress with your story? It’s questions like these that plague writers who might be naturally intuitive people, but are not able to trust their intuition to the point where they can let it lead them creatively.
A lack of trust in your intuition in writing is directly related to a lack of trust in yourself in life. Writing and life are not two separate things to be put into two separate boxes. What affects one will always affect the other. This is why it’s so important for writers who are intuitively centered to give their intuitive skills priority, and do everything they can to develop self-trust from within.
The most basic place to start is learning how to tell the difference between intuition and fear. I talk more about this in the video below:
I’m teaching an online class this May called Finding Your Writing Magic and I’m going to be teaching writers how to work with their own natural intuitive style, how to access the magic in their creativity and everyday lives, and how to deeply connect with their own power in writing. If this resonates with you, then please make sure to sign up for my newsletter HERE to get all the updates on the class.
Please note: This class will contain completely different material than my Intuitive Writing video course. We will touch on Intuitive Writing briefly as a tool, but only briefly. This is a new class with entirely new material.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me here. First day of class is Monday, May 2 so please get those questions to me ASAP. I’ll see you all very soon with the last video in this series, all about how to know when you can trust the information your intuition is bringing through to you.
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Writer and The INFJ Revolution. You can get a free copy of her book on creative marketing for writers by signing up for her newsletter HERE.