Writers deal in words, descriptive and evocative, and reading regularly is one way to ensure you always have fresh supply in mind when you sit down to write. No surprises there! But this technique is valuable beyond writing. It will make you a better communicator and give you the specificity to describe moments and meaning in your daily life.
WISE
Three Handwritten Morning Pages
When I began reading The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, I also began her recommended daily practice of writing morning pages. Since then, a little more than 6 months have past, and morning pages have become a key part of my life. I’ve become accustomed to waking up early each morning to write three pages longhand straight from my stream of consciousness, for my eyes only.
They’re intended to be as whiny or petty or angry as they need to be that day. (And sometimes they are.) Whatever comes out, no judgment. Getting all that crap down on the page and off your mind is the goal. It lets you get on with the rest of your day and your creative endeavors without all that weighing on you.
To say that they’ve changed my life isn’t hyperbole at all.
Wisdom for New Beginnings
As you consider the year ahead, maybe making New Year’s resolutions, maybe not, I thought I’d share a poem that’s meant a lot to me this year. I’ve read it many, many times over the course of the year as I’ve made some big changes in my life and will continue to do so as…
Everyday Thankfulness
Spending Thanksgiving in San Francisco this year meant less time devoted to travel and much more downtime. Last weekend that led to catch-up phone calls with family across the country and lots time for reflection, almost an early year-end review.
Early in the year, I started keeping track of what I was grateful for using an app called Lift. I really enjoyed the act of stopping for a moment (often on the bus) to think about what I was grateful for on that day, in that exact moment. I didn’t over think it either. It was more of a stream of consciousness exercise.
Somehow, I’ve kept up the habit for most of the year with intermittent streaks of more than 30 days in a row. (Right now, I’m on day 34 of a new streak!) It hadn’t occurred to me when I started doing this how much fun it would be to look back on the year through this lens.
A Recipe for Life
I came across this passage in one of the last chapters of An Everlasting Meal. I love the reminder to make dinner guests a part of the process, consciously leaving your list unfinished and putting the connection gained through combined effort first.
The recipes in this book are secondary. (I mostly skimmed over them.) They’re not an after thought, but they’re also not the point. Learning how to feed ourselves well and intuitively from whatever’s around is the author’s point. The writing is beautifully layered, and it evokes so much more than just cooking and eating.
Looking Forward
I love solid, actionable advice, the kind I read and excitedly think to myself, “This is great. I can use this!” That’s exactly what I thought when I came across a blog post by Jeff Goins called The Secret to Having a Marriage That Never Goes Stale. While I’m not married or currently in a…
Encountering My Future Self in Portland
This year before heading to WDS 2014 I was bound and determined to see more of Portland and at least a couple of the beautiful spots nearby. So I arrived a couple days early to explore on my own. After my painfully early flight touched down, I picked up my rental car and headed directly…
Thoughts on Living a Remarkable Life #WDS2014
For the last four years, I’ve been going to Portland, Oregon at the beginning of July for an event called the World Domination Summit (WDS). The weekend event is designed around the values of “community, adventure, and service” and challenges attendees to live a remarkable life, even in light of our conventional world. All jokes about…
Struggling with the Meaning of Home
Standing over my cellphone, I’m at a loss for words despite the utter simplicity of the concept I’m trying to convey. All my mom wants to know is that I’m at my apartment safely after flying back to San Francisco from Dallas. Otherwise, she’ll worry. It’s a simple request, and I’m happy to comply. “I’m…
Grab Yourself a Post-It Note
Preferably one of the small ones. Now write down on that piece of paper the names of the people in your life whose opinion of you matters to you. If you’re anything like me, it will end up being a pretty short list. Last week, I came across this exercise part way through this great…
