Sage Sushi Master Advice To Spruce Up Your Writing

If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be sushi.

Tim — the love of my life — shares this passion and as a birthday surprise he took me to a “Make Your Own Sushi” class at The Brooklyn Kitchen.

As we were learning about rice, the instructor said sheepishly — almost apologizing for her zen tone — “Here’s the secret to making great sushi rice. When you stir it, you have to put your spirit into it.”

She might have worried that the statement bordered on trite, but I thought it was magical.

When you care about something, you should put your spirit into it.

In addition to eating sushi, I have a passion for writing. Here are three ways I put my spirit into my words.

(1) I play at the intersections of disparate activities that I love — making great sushi is a metaphor for making great copy; relishing an operatic voice is a metaphor for emotionally moving donors. When your passions intermix there is no limit to the creativity that will follow.

(2) I put myself into my work. Having a relatable protagonist is a storytelling must have. That’s why I often share tidbits of who I am, where I came from and what I love.

(3) Even so, my audience comes first. Just a a sushi chef thinks about the person who will eat his food, I think about the person who will read my writing. Who are they? What do they want to know? What are their pain points? How can I help?

Too often we get caught up in the day-to-day grind and stay satisfied with uninspired work.

If you care about what you are working on, go ahead and unabashedly put your spirit into it!