Day 15 - Write

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life.

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I love to write. I love the process of putting pen to paper. I love stream of consciousness writing. I love the pauses when I write, when I think about where I want to go next.                  

                                                                                                                   When I first started writing in my journals, when I was 14, I had a #1 Rule: I would try to write as honestly as I could in that moment. My #2 Rule? I would never feel stupid when I read back on what I wrote because I knew those would be honest feelings at that time. And above everything else, I wanted my words to be an honest reflection of how I felt.

I suppose all those journals could be a great tool for blackmail!

Here's another thought: if you've been in my life in a significant way there's a good chance you're in one of my journals, in one way or another. Thank about that one!

When I was in my twenties I had the picture in my mind of living in a cottage on the coast of Maine, wearing bulky Fisherman's sweaters, walking along the beach with my dog, thinking and being inspired before returning to the fire in my cottage to write some more. Yep. That's what I wanted to do.

I still write, just not like I used to. I think that I write more safely nowadays. I think there are a lot of reasons for that. Sometimes I write in code. Sometimes instead of using words to get my feelings out I do collage and art journaling. That fills a need to get thoughts and feelings out of me but in a way that only I understand. I kind of like doing that.

I've always found writing to be extremely therapeutic. Sometimes I find the answers to my life questions when I write. Sometimes I feel more free to move on once I get the thoughts out of my head and onto the paper. Sometimes my writing is a little journey of discovery for me.

When I do my heart & mind writing I always do it with pen and paper. Never electronically to begin. I love the feeling of paper under my hand. I love the smooth flow of a good pen. I like seeing my sloppy, scratchy handwriting. I like the freedom to go anywhere and pull out my book and begin writing. Even with all the portable technology I have, I'll still do my deeper writing with pen and paper, because it is more intimate.