One of the recommendations is morning pages. Morning pages is three pages of writing, long-hand, first thing every morning. I have been doing it for about a week now. The recommendation is not to go back and re-read what you have written, but just to write.
That is funny to me because my longhand scrawl is literally unreadable especially when I am writing in my stream of consciousness mode.
I am enjoying it. Writing just to write. Not to be read by anyone (not even me), Not to be published. Not to be edited. Not to be meaninful. Just writing.
The other recommendation is to take yourself out on an Artist's date. Just you, alone. Once a week for a couple of hours. A gallery, a walk, window shopping, whatever and wherever gives you inspiration and joy. Like a play-date with yourself.
Last night I took myself out to a Dare to be Heard event. It is a gathering of writers of all genres who want to read five minutes of their work.
It is the second time I have read my work in public and I am feeling good about the feedback and about my writing. Reading it aloud is empowering. I think to myself - "Hey, this is pretty good". I am committed more than ever to finish this first edit of my novel and then to get some beta readers to have a go at it.
I have decided that once I am back from summer travels I will work at 'getting it out there'. I am excited about the possibilities.
So I am writing daily, but not here on the blog. I am feeling silenced here, but I believe The Artist's Way will help me unblock and get back to posting at least twice a week.
You with me?
I have been doing ok lately. Not great, but ok. The cat is definitely on the mend, and my sock knitting mojo is back.
I will leave you with a cute test-knit I am doing for a Ravelry designer called The Last Fish is mine. Once the pattern is live I will post the link in the comment section below.
Can you see the cats and the fish? The lace work is little paw prints. Too cute.
Working on this test-knit has made me think that maybe, one day, I could design a sock of my own.
Also, I am having eye surgery on Thursday so send me some positive vibes.
I could use them.
Have fun with the writing regimen, good results with the eye surgery, and a dream of a summer vacation!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan!
DeleteLovely to hear you in such a positive mood. Those socks are lovely but that pattern must be soooo complicated. Good luck with the writing and I hope the eye surgery goes well and you have a good vacation.
ReplyDeleteThe pattern is surprisingly easy and the lace part knits very quickly. Thank you for the good wishes.
Delete"see" you after your surgery - looking forward to catching up
ReplyDeleteThat goes double for me!
DeleteYes... Happy thoughts for your surgery.... Yay to more blogging ... And double yay to reading your work in public! Way back when you and Judy were writing I started to read botth manuscripts... But I never got around to finishing the rads.mfor lots of reasons. Mostly bad. And now my life is looking even messier... And I've stopped writing... And knit with binge tv instead of doing meaningful stuff... Coz I'm a bit paralysed... But I really DO want to be a test reader for you... If you'd like me to do so... And I promise I won't get lost
ReplyDeleteokay I will send you the manuscript once I finish this round of edits. Probably the fall (for you that would be spring!)
Deleteperfect...
Deletethose socks are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI tried the artist way but at the time I was waking up at 5am and went to bed at 6.30pm to have barely sufficient sleep (I suspect I have hypersomnia)so there was no way I could woke up earlier to write.
Yes it is only now I am retired that it is working for me. Sometimes I don't start writing until 9 or 10 am because that is when I get up!
DeleteHow wonderful to have a forum for reading your work aloud to an audience. I am not surprised that you received good feedback.
ReplyDeleteYou said you felt silenced on the blog? That doesn't sound positive. I'm interested to know why you feel that way or whether I have misinterpreted something along the way.
It is so good that you are enjoying your writing and knitting etc. Keep smiling and 'putting yourself out there' but most of all, have fun! xx
I am reeling silenced because what I want and need to write is very personal and I am not ready for all my readers to read it. This has happened before, and I will find my way through.
Deletefeeling, not reeling - although that works too. lol
DeleteAh, understandable. How did you find your way through before?
Deletejust time. Time gets me through.
Deletejust time. Time gets me through.
Delete