FROM THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER:
I’m going to admit that I love fiction, but most of the recreational reading I do is actually business books – particularly ones that have more “get your damn life in order” talk than inspiring words. The best book I’ve read about work/life balance is “Manage Your Day-to-Day” where they basically say pros don’t get inspired – they show up and they work. The best advice I’ve gotten from this book is to empty my head first thing in the morning by writing 3 pages of words (1.5 pages front and back), then create something after.
Three hand-written pages of nothing; just whatever comes into my head. At first, this was a struggle, until I figured out that writing can be a lot like meditation, another huge tool in my creativity belt.
Meditation is such a difficult practice because you need to clear your head, but it’s really not easy to just… think of nothing.
If you’ve never meditated: the first time, I recommend you close your eyes and concentrate on everything at once. Feel where your feet are touching the ground; where your legs are bent. Become away of where your clothing is pulling in one place or another. Feel the temperature of your skin. Listen to any noises in the room – let them relax you further instead of distract you. Feel your inhale in your lungs and the breath on your lip when you breath out through your nose.
Your daily morning writing will be just like this; you can clear your head by practicing that same thing in writing — just get it all out. Write everything that comes to you. Let it flow through you. What did you dream of? What do you have to do today? What do you want for breakfast? No one has to see these pages, you don’t have to re-read them, but I find that starting my morning first thing, before checking my phone for texts or my email or social media, this exercise makes me pro-active instead of re-active. And that’s exactly where a creative wants to be.
ACTION:
I would love for you to commit to daily writing for one week!
Post your weekly goal on Facebook and ask your friends to do the same. I’d love to hear if you feel like this makes a difference in your creative life for the week!
Until next time, thank you for reading, friend.
For links to a work-day playlist, mediation pillows, some daily art, and to get more updates like this and more, sign up for the newsletter.
