Many writers journal. For a number of years, I wasn’t one of them. Restless and always tempted by the latest shiny object, I found it difficult to stick to a daily routine that forced me to sit still. Stillness required internal exploration and that made me uncomfortable.
About five years ago, when I finally decided to engage in serious personal development, I found a spiral-bound notebook with deliciously thick paper, bought a carton of gel pens filled with black ink, and began journaling regularly.
Shortly after rising each morning, I would sit with a cup of coffee and engage in stream-of-thought writing, the “morning pages” Julia Cameron describes in her seminal book, The Artist’s Way. The session concluded with a list of ten things I was grateful for and why I was grateful for them.
That simple practice turned my life around. Sitting for ten or twenty minutes each morning brought me in touch with myself and whatever anxieties or frustrations lurked below the surface. Focusing on gratitude redirected my thoughts toward hopefulness and playful exploration. I began to recognize opportunities I might have previously brushed off as impossible or more realistic for someone – anyone – other than me. I sharpened my view of the world and observed its detail more closely. The quality of my writing improved, and so did my penmanship.
I discovered, much to my delight, that writing with a pen rather than a keyboard served as a direct portal to creativity. Chapters or sections in my latest manuscript came to life more easily with pen than they did before a blank screen. I could prewrite on paper, and then, when I sat down in front of my laptop, I’d already know where I was going and how I would get there. Words flowed.
This blog, Work in Progress, is one way for me to share what I’m learning through my journey of becoming, something that the attitudes and rapid pace of North American life tend to thwart. As I develop the new habit of regular posting I hope it will inspire new ideas and insights for you as you follow your own path in writing and life.
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Photo provided by author.