Just as July 4th ended, the idea to create my own Declaration of Independence as a writer occurred to me. Since I missed the boat on the 4th, I’m going to declare July 5th as my own personal Independence Day. As a source of inspiration for this endeavor, the July 4, 1776 version is unbeatable. What could be more compelling than these bold, revolution-sparking, world-changing words:

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—“

Quoting this statement, I was struck by the phrase “unalienable Rights” and in particular, the word “unalienable,” which is variously defined as “incapable of being surrendered or transferred,” “non-negotiable,” and “sacrosanct.” “Sacrosanct” piqued my interest and sent me on another little word chase. The result:  “sacred,” “respected,” “untouchable.” Now that’s food for thought.

What sacred, non-negotiable, untouchable rights do I want to endow myself with as a writer on my personal Independence Day ? Let’s start with these:

I endow myself with the right to believe in my work and its intrinsic value.

I endow myself with the right to nurture my desire to devote the time needed to push my writing to the next level.

I endow myself with the right to put my creative writing center stage and to do whatever it takes to create forward motion each day.

I endow myself with the right to pursue any ideas, tools, training, and experience that will help me improve my craft.

I endow myself with the right to see myself as part of a long and joyful tradition of storytellers and mythmakers who enrich the world through words.

Well that’s what I came up with. How about you?