Writing as Practice and Discipline

After the recent three day retreat (which seems to have impacted me a great deal), I have been reflecting on the kinds of things, besides meditation, which I consider a practice and discipline worth doing. Writing is certainly one of the things that has proven to be both a discipline and a passion for me. However, what's interesting to me is how the "discipline" aspect of writing has tempered my understanding of what "passion to write" really means to me. I would have to say that this interplay of daily "disciplined" practice and passion are building upon each other continuously.
   To take a simple example, I remember when I first entered undergrad English at York, I was quite adamant about wanting to be a writer, and I did write passionately in various forms. However, there came times in my life when I became attached to the feeling that seems to go with "writing passionately"---that is, being in a kind of psychic flow or zone with my words, and not being inhibited in any way by any criticism, whether from within or outside me. But surely, such a feeling does not come all the time, and there are moments when writing does not happen with passion because one's ideas are not always coming to life in the writing. There could be different reasons for this, such as an idea that is not yet ripened enough to be generated in words, or simply a lack of interest in one's ideas. Sometimes it's even a matter of not having enough experiences in life to write about, or lacking the stimulation of another perspective which often comes from reading in one's favored genres. But part of the discipline of writing is to push through those dry periods by continuing to write. The idea of reserving a time to write is something which doesn't tolerate too many excuses, such as "lack of inspiration". And what it ends up doing is subverting the presumptions one has about where and how passion to write manifests.
  I have noticed that in the process of writing some of my blog entries, I simply didn't know how the subject would take shape until I actually started writing. At that point, a tiny candle flame can become something that warms me, and indeed I start to "warm up" to my subject. I have even had to change my subject line halfway in writing, realizing that what I set out to write about isn't the actual subject I really want to describe in the moment. Writing balances these needs for spontaneity with the need for a coherent subject that "feeds" the fires of curiosity. Discipline thus informs my understanding of passion, by starting more modestly with the simple act of setting aside time and "just doing it" regardless of whether one thinks they have creative inspiration or not. And it takes courage to let oneself do this---to let go of one's sense of control over a process that is altogether a mystery, since one can never know exactly where these ideas are coming from in any case.
  Lastly, discipline and daily practice can reduce the tendency to take on too many topics in one blog. It's one thing to formulate in one's head what they want to write about, and get very grandiose about the design. But in actuality, a structured piece of writing only generally allows for one specialized area of grounded observation and conclusion. Trying to take on too much in writing even one's life story (an onerous task) can be lightened through simple daily reflections. Such reflections have often taught me that "less" is sometimes "better", and that one can only share a small piece of what they have learned with their readers. Knowing that this small "piece" is enough, is in itself a gift, and it can be an incredible source of peace to get a good sense of when enough is enough. Writing practice can help one be a good gauge of this, or at least a somewhat better gauge anyway.