Look. Listen. Can you hear them in the trees? Can you see them soaring in the sky? Birds are all around us. Extraordinary creatures who fly in and out of our ordinary days and nights. Yet, we hardly notice them amid our busy lives.

I can say the same thing about finding writing ideas.

Look. Listen. Can you hear ideas when you’re waiting in line at Trader Joe’s? Can you see ideas when you chauffeur kids to soccer practice?  Ideas are all around us. Words waiting to gather like a flock of birds on our backyard power lines.

Good birders, like good writers, notice what others miss.

Great writers take it a step further and connect observations, ideas, questions, and memories like a huge puzzle while others keep the tiny pieces separate. This is a process of discovery, and it feels passionate and alive, taking us beyond the doldrums of skimming along surface existence.  

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got time for passions like birdwatching and writing because neither requires shaved legs, lots of time, or big expenses. Plus, I can do both activities from the comfort of my backyard without being a professional writer or trained ornithologist.

Some of you might think, yeah, I’m OK with birdwatching, but not writing.

For those of you who don’t love writing, paying attention to feathered friends is a low-stakes way to enter the writing process. Just like birdwatching, writing begins with noticing. If you grow the noticing habit with birds, you can transfer the same skill to writing. It’s a lovely first step.

Your Turn: First Steps for Beginning Birdwatchers and Writers

So spread your wings.

Inspire your flock.

Let your bold and beautiful words take flight.