A few weeks ago I received an email from one of our Imaginative Storm writers. Here’s what she wrote:
"You mentioned "finding our voice" on one podcast. Can you tell me more? What does that mean to you, and how did you do it? How do I do it? Does it change with time? I am working with a lady who is trying to find her voice. She was "hushed" most of her life. In therapy, we explore where that came from, but more so, how she can find her voice now and how to use it. It is hard for her. Scary. I understand. My life was similar."
I loved her question, because I'd been thinking a great deal about the idea that our voices don’t actually get lost, but rather stifled or muffled by circumstances and other people. I've concluded that it might be more accurate to say, "Rather than finding your voice, perhaps it’s about freeing it—or even recognizing that your voice is searching for you as much as you’re searching for it.”
Hasn’t your voice been with you since you were born? The only way to lose your spoken voice is to lose your vocal cords, and even then, you retain the essence of "you"—even in silence. You might say that you are your voice, and you will never lose your voice until the day you die.
Writers often talk about needing to find their voice. Here's my take on that: this “writerly problem” can be a way of avoiding a more profound need. Perhaps, courage to write without fear of criticism; or confidence to express yourself with vulnerability; or just the basic human need to feel creative.
So, when someone tells you they need to find their voice, you might say to them, "Fair enough. But consider this: because you haven’t actually lost your voice—it's been with you all along—what else do you need to find? When you accept that you never lost your voice, you can focus on what’s really holding you back from saying whatever you need to say.”
Here are a dozen things to remember when you think you need to find your voice:
There's no need to search for your voice. You already have it.
Confidence in your writing voice comes from practice, not pursuit.
Finding your voice is like trying to find love—it appears when you stop searching.
Writing well isn't about form but letting your voice dance on the page.
Write to explore, not to impress—your voice will shine.
Give up perfectionism. Your authentic voice isn't perfect—it's personal.
Writing longhand keeps your voice messy and real.
Dictate while you walk—movement frees your voice.
Explore your voice through small, daily writings—practice makes it authentic.
Don't let past teachers' voices drown out your own.
Write like you talk—your natural voice is in your spoken words.
Be playful with your words—your voice loves to play.
Ultimately, the challenge is not to find your voice but to embrace your voice without hesitation, to let it speak with the authenticity and confidence that comes from being yourself. Writing is a process of uncovering; in that uncovering, you'll discover that your voice may have been stifled or mislaid, but it was never truly lost.
[*THOUGHTS ON ChatGPT 4.0
Will it shock you if I tell you that I used ChatGPT 4.0 to help me write this? Here’s how to use ChatGPT 4.0ethically—as an assistant, not a creator.
On my morning walk, I dictated 6,000 words about finding your voice, as research before I sat down to write. Then I decided I wanted to include a list of things to remember about finding your voice, so I instructed ChatGPT 4.0* to extract 50 pithy quotes from my text without altering my words in any way. I chose my favorites and combined a few, and ended up with 12.
I find that the best way to use ChatGPT 4.0in creative work is for organizational tasks. If you get good ideas while talking, ChatGPT 4.0 can transcribe and pull out the main points so that you don’t have to wade through mountains of paper speckled with “um”s and half-sentences and digressions. I also use it for finding compatible colors, evaluating a social media post and suggesting hashtags, or organizing quotes alphabetically by author.
ChatGPT 4.0 is a tool, not a substitute for original thinking or writing. Giving it the right instructions is key. I encourage you to play around with it and find how it might save you time and trouble. Remember to include the instruction “without changing any of my words”!]
James Navé is a poet, teacher of writing, and a member of the Order of the Rocking Chair.