Madly Writing

I've been trying to read the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I haven't been 100% successful but one thing I have added to my life is journaling. I would love to say I've added "daily" journaling, but the more accurate phrase would be "every-so-often" journaling. The "perfect" way would be to do it every morning (they're called Morning Pages) before your day gets under way. The other "perfect" way would be to write 3 pages a day.

My "good enough" way was to TRY to write in it daily (some weeks yes, and some no). I did stick to the 3 pages. At first it was a chore and now three pages sometimes doesn't feel like enough, but I do stop at three. There is no "perfect" in terms of what you write. You can write all the "junk" that is in your head, you can write about your hopes and dreams, you can do a hybrid, you can write your to-do list, you can write the same word over-and-over-and-over for 3 pages. You can also be ee cumings and use no punctuation. You can practice your worst grammar. You can spell EVERY word wrong. You can have dangling participles...no one has to know and really no one cares. The point is to participate in the act of writing. Sometimes you need to get the thoughts that are rattling in your head, sometimes you need to feel less bored about your life, sometimes you have a book in you that needs to get out of you, sometimes you have HUGE dreams that you are hoping to translate into reality.

The intention is the writing full stop. It isn't meant to LEAD to a book, or to RESOLVE a problem...but both of those are possible and even more interestingly...LIKELY if you continue the process long enough. Julia Cameron asks that you try to do this for 30 days to build a habit. Also you are encouraged NOT to reread your entries for at least 6 months and "never" is also encouraged. However, "they say" that if you do reread you may find that what you were hopin' and dreamin' actually comes true more often than not (way cool!). You are also encouraged not to share your writing unless you have a super-supportive-on-your-team-always kind of friend.

So why am I telling you this...a) I've been trying it and it is amazing what it does. I cannot even articulate the change/feeling but it does something for me b) I've had some amazing 'inspired action' AFTER I've written something down c) I've been able to spew out (envision barf if you must) the junk in my head and then it kind of just dissipates which is great d) I FINISHED MY FIRST FULL JOURNAL (picture is of my actual journal; I decorated it myself as a daily "reward" for writing).

First, you have to know something about me, I have a freakish appetite for stationery items like journals. I also love to finish things, in a weird obsessive kind of way. To round out the obsessive compulsive triad, I also love to start things. So right now I'm in the vortex of yummy love for all things related to journaling.

Second, when I compared notes with my friend about her physical journal she described it as a small (ish) notebook (maybe half-page sized). I realized this about halfway through my book which is actually the Full Monty composition book college ruled. It all made more sense to me as to why it was taking me 40 minutes every day...but I was committed because 'finishing books is an obsession'.

So what I have in my hands right now is a college ruled composition book filled from cover to cover with longhand writing. Did you see A Beautiful Mind?...at one point they showed lines and lines and lines of writing...and Russell Crowe had gone "mad"...that is what my book looks like. It is oddly satisfying to quickly flip the pages through my fingers and see how much I've written. I don't look at the words, just the pages. I also have memories of evil Sr. Elizabeth because I have almost perfect handwriting due to her torture in 3rd grade where we had to write IN FOUNTAIN PEN without making mistakes or smudging.

So, if you've read to this point of this long winded post...I may be crazy (as witnessed above)...but I'm loving every minute of it. I am completely sold on this process and I encourage you to try the same...and report back to me if you wish...oh and don't send the 'special van' to pick me up just yet, I've got more compulsions to uncover.