Well, I started this blogging challenge more than three weeks ago. I had hoped to write some posts ahead and give myself the freedom to not be stressed over meeting a daily deadline. It turns out the daily practice of writing something and immediately sharing it is so good for the long term.
I’m freeing myself from perfectionism. I don’t have to get every word right or follow the same story throughout the whole month. I can process life by writing my way through whatever is happening in my current day or let my words lead me back to the past for a moment. I can also pause the storytelling to share with you more about the way I write.
The technical details, like how I stand in front of my computer and use the back of my fingers, those informative bits can come in a future post.
This month has helped me to define a kind of writing routine. There is a pull in the world towards noise, but we still greatly need silence. We need the space it offers and the reminder it brings to slow down.
- Silence gives me the chance to connect my mind to my heart.
- Silence opens the door to a deeper sense of clarity, of what is really important.
- Silence grows my ability to say no to busyness in order to recharge.
My routine involves a mix of noise and quiet. I start out by listening to music. Just a song or two will usually be enough. I get lost in the sound and let go of thoughts about tasks and what else needs doing before bed. And sometimes, like tonight, I put off eating because I’m in the zone right when it’s dinner time. Food can wait. Words don’t always know what waiting means once they find their way to the surface. So I pause the music and prepare the fingers.
What’s the status of my heart today? Where will the words take me?
I stand in the silence. I wait. I embrace the stillness and switch into writer mode. This is what I love. A slowing down of my heart. A quieting of the soul. A steady moving of words.