Hi Friend! As I begin my Spiritual Direction practice, I’ve received a number of questions about the connection between creativity and our spiritual lives. Today I want to share these recommendations that I give to folks who participate in my writing circles. When you read through, you’ll find a number of prompts to try today.
Make time to write. On Monday evenings, I go to a really nourishing yin yoga class at my neighborhood studio Violets in Bloom. My teacher begins by telling us ‘Getting to the mat is the hardest part.’ It’s true! As I finish my work day, walk my dog, get dinner ready and often think I can’t make it to yoga tonight.
But wow! Once I’m there, I let go and the practice takes over. Carving out space to write can be the hardest part of the practice for many people. Be gentle with yourself and start slowly–a writing practice could begin once/week, when you receive this newsletter.
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Choose your preferred medium. You may love writing by hand in a journal or typing into a keyboard or writing on the memo app on your phone. There is no one right process~ embrace whatever feels right for you.
I alternate, writing on a keyboard for longer pieces, writing in a journal when I’m out in the natural world (or sitting waiting for a doctor’s appointment)
Notice how time of day impacts your writing energy. Some folks love to write first thing in the morning. Others take time out their afternoon or feel most energized by writing in the evening. Notice your energy flow and patterns. Experiment with writing at different times~pay attention to how the time of day impacts your process.
Make space in your calendar. Add your writing time into your calendar so that it becomes a practice~a date that you are keeping with your inner voice.
Ask yourself a question. Start with free writing time in response to a question. Try ‘What do I want to let go of today?’ ‘What do I hope to learn today?’ “What’s giving me hope today?’ or any question that’s a catalyst for your thoughts, feelings and energy to flow.
Set a timer. Especially if you are new to a writing practice, unstructured time may feel intimidating. Start writing for 3 minutes...then move to 7. 15-20 minutes of contemplative writing several times a week can create a huge shift in our awareness.
Start with a list. You don’t need to write in complete sentences. Making lists is a great way to generate words and start flow. List beautiful things you’ve noticed over the week, list all of your favorite people, list songs that make you cry. Look over your lists and pick one thing you feel drawn to and want to write about.
Choose a quality or emotion to explore. I love to pick a quality and write about it several times a week, to get deep and intimate with it. I might choose hope, gratitude, joy. Play with the opposite of the quality, explore its shadow; for example write about joy and sorrow. Where and when is each feeling showing up in your life?
Make time to reflect. You may want to begin your writing practice by looking over what you’ve written in previous sittings. Reading back over your writing offers an opportunity to ask: What has shifted since I’ve last written?
Edit with compassion. In your expressive writing process, you may find a piece you want to edit, craft, share. When you’re ready to move from the writing to the editing process, try to use a compassionate voice. Our editor’s voice can be unnecessarily harsh. Notice how it feels to review your work with compassion. What are you curious about? What do you want to know more about?
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