As a writer, I am familiar with the way my creative pursuit can sometimes feel isolating or even lonely because so much of writing happens in solitary time blocks. This is why I have often been drawn to the stories about The Inklings, the group of writers and friends that included at its core J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and the ways they encouraged one another in their creative pursuits and provided critical feedback of works in progress. Over the years, I have sought to find and even create such a group around my own writing efforts. My efforts to form a similar circle of creative souls have revealed why The Inklings were such a special collaboration for those involved.
Perhaps that’s why I enjoy watching the ways my teenagers collaborate, challenge, and come together around their creative endeavors. I enjoy watching how they encourage and support one another and how that empowers them, providing them the boldness necessary willingly to share more of their work with each other. Of course, like with The Inklings, such collaborations sometimes provide more friction than validation. Even so, like Tolkien and Lewis, they have learned to trust the process and are learning the importance of discerning what feedback will help them on a certain project. They don’t always see eye to eye on artistry or story, and yet, with each interaction around their art, they are discovering that sweet spot in the creative process that makes us better at what we do.
While I am often not privy to their conversations, I am acutely aware of how often they seek one another out to share something they are creating. Often, the 14 year old enjoys sharing a finished character sketch with all of us and not just her sister. But when it comes to her writing, she tends to be a bit more reticent, not typically providing glimpses of the developing story. Except with her sister. And her older sister tends to eagerly await an invitation to read the younger’s words.
Last night, as we were heading into the bedtime portion of the evening, the 14 year old requested additional writing time on her Chromebook and we acquiesced (when it comes to a creative pursuit like writing, rarely do we say no without good reason). In a short span, she had penned a poem and although she made some indication of potentially letting me or her dad read it, she declared it “too cringy,” too embarrassing to share with us. From downstairs, I heard a brief conversation involving my two teenagers and shortly thereafter learned the 14 year old invited her sister in to read her poem. The conversation involved the 16 year old praising the poem, declaring it in no way cringy, and lamenting a slight jealousy at not being able to write “like that.” I don’t have to have been in the room with the two of them to know the smile and the glow of confidence my 14 year old had in that moment.
Like Lewis and Tolkien’s exchanges, my teenagers regularly share this kind of back and forth. There are those times when one of them will indicate they don’t understand the other’s idea, be it a story or a drawing, but I’ve noticed they are better now at appreciating the effort behind the piece. Having been involved in many writing groups over the years, I appreciate the growth in each of my teenagers around this critical feedback; too often the only feedback I received from a fellow writer was something along the lines of, it was good or yeah, I liked it. Now while we all like accolades, this feedback often was not helpful in my efforts to determine what was working or what resonated with a reader and what might have to be cut in the next draft.
At 14 and 17 (as of today!), I have deep respect for the creative collaborations these two share, even if I only get to glimpse those interactions from a distance. Typically, the initial process starts in my presence, but pretty quickly they make their way off to one or the other’s rooms to call up a document on a Chromebook or to flip through drawings in a sketchbook or in Procreate. Even better is when their discussions devolve into sharing music and favorite songs or artists as well as flipping through journals or sketchbooks both past and current. Whether they realize it or not, these activities and conversations are wonderful fodder for future creative efforts. I love that these two incredible creative, young women are learning now to nurture their creative souls. It will serve them well as they continue to pursue creativity in their lives.