Why do we write? It’s an age-old question, but I found a good answer recently. “The purpose of being a serious writer is to keep people from despair,” says Sarah Manguso. “If people read your work and, as a result, choose life, then you are doing your job.”

I had been looking forward to a week-long creative sabbatical for quite a while. It was time to begin my vision for the upcoming year. I saw myself slipping into the silence, doing some inspirational reading and writing, and listening as insights from my muse poured in. It seemed so simple.

It seems we are all about “living our dream” nowadays, but there’s something about that wording that puts many of us on edge. We feel there is something wrong with us if we haven’t crystallized some big vision for our lives. Or if we aren’t immediately in touch with some bodacious, juicy passion that inspires singing on mountain tops.