To Bear Witness

The gift of the writer in these times and always...

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Join me for the next Teas and Tales this Sunday 4th May- Let’s sip tea and write together in this cozy, generative writing session.

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After hitting send on my piece about writing when the world is burning, I started pondering more on the subject. Could there be more to it than the importance of words and creating beautiful things? Something deeper occurred to me with time and thought. It was the role of the writer as observer and witness.

As I write this, I am sitting in a café on the busiest road in my town, as Sunday tourists stream past outside. There are stands selling drinks in colourful ceramic cups shaped like the traditional dancers of the town. Among their lists, written on neon card in a variety of colours, is a drink called a Smurf (Pitufo), an icy beverage that will turn your tongue blue. Families pass by, children with fluffy ducks set on springs clipped in their hair, parents with back packs weighing down their shoulders. Cars try to inch past unsuspecting pedestrians on a street barely wide enough for them all.

A man walks by with a huge block of ice held between pincers that he delivers to a small drinks stand to keep their refrescos cold. The sun is blazing down and people stay cool under caps, straw hats and sombreros. Another stand sells crisps (potato chips) in a variety of flavours and colours as well as pot noodles. A sudden passing breeze whips at the beach umbrellas set up to keep their snack stand shaded.

Opposite, a man in his seventies in a salmon pink shirt stares at his telephone in confusion, a cigarette worn down between his fingers, barely smoked, there for comfort, there out of habit. A boy, no more than about 12 years old, walks past carrying wooden coat racks in the shape of guitars. He carries 8 on his back and one in his hand to show to potential buyers.

A man comes into the café asking for change. I buy him a coffee, the baristas give him some apples. We hope it sets him up for the day. The café smells of freshly baked cookies, the sweet scent sits at the front of my nose, the music moves between café jazz to some funky beats that remind me of London. A wasp climbs the window, confused between the inside and outside world as two girls in dinosaur helmets drive past of an ATV.

These eye shaped windows are common in Tepoztlán

You see, I realised recently (after resisting the knowledge for years) that this is my favourite place to be; just on the edge. I like to be just outside the action, almost part of it, but watching on, bearing witness, sometimes telling about it. Cafés with big windows are perfect (honestly the Poetry Pharmacy on Oxford Street in London looks ideal). When I go to yoga or ecstatic dances I gravitate to the edges, I am almost never the one right in the middle, never centre of attention. I used to be more main character, now I enjoy this role of quiet witness.

“I was really curious about the world. I just felt myself at a remove from it…I just thought there is this amazing world full of beautiful people doing all kinds of things and it was my job to observe them”- Zadie Smith -Wild Card NPR

I can’t tell you how much I resonate with this quote from Zadie Smith.

Now, this role of observer has its downsides. It can feel lonely on the edges, sometimes. When the fires came to my town, I felt less able to dive in, but I am realising that there is deep value in bearing witness and in listening to and observing everything that is happening. In doing that from a slightly distanced place you can help make decisions and help in different ways.

“It’s very different to go into a conflict from the outside, with the purpose of reporting, than to have something erupt around you. That’s a very different experience. So I don’t think my reporting was particularly brilliant.” Lindsey Hilsum Journalist (On reporting on the Rwanda Civil War and Genocide while living in Rwanda- Desert Island Discs BBC)

I wonder if in these big times, there are those who jump in and those who can bear witness to the jumping? Those who can hold space afterwards, having observed everything that happened. Those who can allow for those who jumped to be seen. There is value in witnessing too. I’m curious about this.

I bear witness in my job as a mentor, as I’ve written about before, and honestly, it’s such a huge part of what I do. To be able to witness someone’s evolution, someone’s dreams becoming real and to reflect that back, to be able to listen closely and remind someone of their words so that they may realise they aren’t, in fact, lost, can be powerful.

An equally, when I am witnessed through the loving eyes of others who want the best for me, when they guide me back to myself, it’s an incredibly affirming feeling.

To bear witness is so valuable. We all want to be witnessed. We all desire to be seen.

I’m not saying every writer bears witness or that we are always in that role. But I’d bet many of us don’t realise, in this world where we are told the only right thing to do is to jump, that our gentle, profound witnessing is wildly powerful.

The world has always needed witnesses and now is no different. Tell us what you see.

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Writing this newsletter is an act of love and joy. I am committed to delving into the beautiful, the messy and the sublime that is this act of creating meaning through words. Ultimately, my goal is to remind you that you are Write As You Are.

You can support me and my newsletter by:

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• Checking out my mentoring offerings

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Recommendations

A few things I’ve enjoyed recently…

Creative Getaways: I have heard only good things about the creative getaways at The Mill in Averyon France and the space just looks incredible. You can also enjoy a self guided retreat in one of their beautiful rooms with views over the French countryside. Delightful!

Metaphor Tree: I recently revisited this interview with writer Danny Ramadan on the Secret Library Podcast to rediscover his idea of the ‘metaphor tree’. He talks of creating themes for the metaphors that run through entire books and I’ve been using it for my latest novel edit. I think it’s giving the book more solidity and also makes for some interesting metaphors. Well worth a listen for that and more.

Short story: I was so delighted to hear that a story by

Cathy Jo Beecher

that began from a prompt I shared here last year placed second in the Writers’ Hour Magazine contest, judged by Eimear Ryan. It’s fabulous. Take a read!

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Mentoring

Would you like to be supported and witnessed on your writing journey? Guided back to your goals and dreams, reminded of the wonderful writer that lives within you on the days it feels tough? If so, please book in for a free discovery call to see if I might be the right mentor for you.

A recent testimonial from a lovely client:

“Susannah was exactly the mentor that I needed at this stage in my writing life. She helped me overcome barriers that I had put up about what I was capable of. She brought the joy back into my writing and helped me steer down a road that I was scared to drive alone. She listened with care and gave feedback and advice that was catered to me and what I needed. Our conversations flew by each week, and I always felt even more inspired to write after we got off the phone. She is insightful, generous with her time, and empathetic in the way that she works. I would definitely work with Susannah again in the future and would highly recommend her to those looking for guidance with their writing.” Laura Bronner, USA

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