There is something that I am really glad that I do every single day.
Do you know what it is?
I’m betting that you guessed that I am glad I move my body everyday.
I am. You’re not wrong.
I am super glad I move my body everyday. Daily movement keeps me healthy and sane. I’ve written about this a lot, actually — most recently in this blog.
And that’s also not what I’m talking about here.
For the past 4 years or so, I’ve had a fairly consistent writing practice.
It’s ebbed and flowed as I’ve shifted what I want from my writing, as well as what I enjoy about writing.
When I started, I was mostly journaling and primarily when I gave my kids baths. So I was inconsistent with my writing and easily frustrated by the lack of personal space and quiet I wanted to write. Also my notebook frequently got wet.
Later, I tried a writing technique that my friend Erika shared with me. She called the technique “close observation.” You set a timer for 5 minutes and write what you observe through your sense, without metaphor. It’s hard and fun. And I gave it up after awhile because it was no longer what brought me joy when I sat down to write.
Over the past 4 years I’ve tried lots of different techniques.
Sometimes I use prompts, sometimes I just write what I am feeling. There are times when I write more than the page I usually allot myself, while other times I write 5 lines and it’s enough.
Now I have a fairly consistent daily writing process. I do one page free write and one page with a series of prompts that are specific to each day.
I include my writing in my morning routine, which means I am sometimes writing while feeding Nettie breakfast. But it’s better than trying to squeeze in writing during bath time. Much less wet, although sometimes sticky.
Recently I decided to start sharing these free writes with my community. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person who loves to write and sometimes the thing that holds us back the most is not knowing where to start or what to write about.
I’ve decided to try and make that a little easier for those who get stuck at the top of a blank page.
Last week, I shared my first WRITE-WITH-ME Wednesday prompt in my facebook community.
Every Wednesday, I’ll share WEEKLY WORDS, a brief prompt for a 5 minute free write.
If you want to join in, all you have to do is hop on over to my facebook group, the Conscious Healthy Community. It’s free and we have a lot of fun there, with daily questions to build community. I also offer a free 5-10 minute yoga flow on Tuesdays.
The link to the newest Weekly Words prompt is right here.
To give you a little taste, here’s the first WEEKLY WORDS prompt that I shared last week.
There are no major rules. Everyone is welcome to participate. You can share your writing in the comments or in a social media post (AND TAG ME @conscioushealthymama) or just with me personally as an email, if you want to share but keep it private.
You can use the prompt ANYWHERE in your writing. Beginning, middle, end.
The Weekly Words prompt was:
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU
HERE’S WHAT I WROTE:
What if I told you that I can’t quite remember why I was angry at you last night?
I couldn’t even remember why I was angry when I got into bed with you.
I could already feel the anger draining away, even though I wanted to hold onto it like a stone in my palm — cold and smooth at first, but made hotter the longer I hold it, rubbing it over and over with my thumb.
I think most anger is like this.
Quick and blinding at first. Burning hot enough to push us into action.
That fire burns away the details — the reasons, the circumstances — leaving us feeling empty. Unsure.
So we cling to what remains, rubbing it over and over so it stays warm enough to remind us of the anger, while smooth and blank enough to keep the reason hidden.
It’s a vicious cycle, helping old anger flare without any connection to why.
It’s not that I don’t want to be angry ever again.
It’s that I want to break the cycle.
