Write On Wednesday-Aha! Moments
Last night, breaking one of my own unwritten rules, I read through old morning pages notebooks. I shy away from reading these things I've written, these morning thoughts that I allow to stream onto the page directly from my still sleepy subconscious. I'm afraid of how inane these words will seem, that they represent nothing more than the dissatisfied ramblings of a middle aged woman, one who is always too polite to speak her frustrations aloud and so lets them spill onto pieces on paper.
It was not without trepidation that I unearthed the pile of notebooks and started paging through them. But I'm trying to make some decisions about my life and its direction, and I was hoping that somwhere in these volumes of words I've written over the past seven months, that some sort of synthesis would occur, some words or phrases that would leap off the page, cause me to do a double take, and say, "Yes, that's it! There's the answer, right there in black and white!"
There is a strange alchemy that occurs in the writing process, a defining of the dross of our thoughts into the gold of insight and inspiration. "The power of the word is real, whether or not you are conscious of it. Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize," writes Sonia Choquette, a spirtual teacher. Natalie Goldberg calls it "composting," the method of allowing our experiences to sift through our consciousness and onto the page, until our thoughts become like rich, fertile soil.
Sure enough, there was gold to be mined in those morning pages notebooks of mine. There were some words that kept appearing over and over, words that immediately sparked the "Aha!" in my mind, telling me exactly where I needed to focus energy for change in my life.
Spending a few moments writing each day, I've used the written word to connect to my subsconscious thoughts almost the way a therapeutic hypnotist will allow us access to our deepest feelings.
Writing is powerful. It connects us to ourselves in unexpected and surprising ways.
So, how about you? Has your writing provided you with any "Aha!" moments lately?
It was not without trepidation that I unearthed the pile of notebooks and started paging through them. But I'm trying to make some decisions about my life and its direction, and I was hoping that somwhere in these volumes of words I've written over the past seven months, that some sort of synthesis would occur, some words or phrases that would leap off the page, cause me to do a double take, and say, "Yes, that's it! There's the answer, right there in black and white!"
There is a strange alchemy that occurs in the writing process, a defining of the dross of our thoughts into the gold of insight and inspiration. "The power of the word is real, whether or not you are conscious of it. Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize," writes Sonia Choquette, a spirtual teacher. Natalie Goldberg calls it "composting," the method of allowing our experiences to sift through our consciousness and onto the page, until our thoughts become like rich, fertile soil.
Sure enough, there was gold to be mined in those morning pages notebooks of mine. There were some words that kept appearing over and over, words that immediately sparked the "Aha!" in my mind, telling me exactly where I needed to focus energy for change in my life.
Spending a few moments writing each day, I've used the written word to connect to my subsconscious thoughts almost the way a therapeutic hypnotist will allow us access to our deepest feelings.
Writing is powerful. It connects us to ourselves in unexpected and surprising ways.
So, how about you? Has your writing provided you with any "Aha!" moments lately?
Labels: Write On Wednesday
posted by Becca at Wednesday, April 04, 2007
12 Comments:
You are so right about the alchemy that occurs. Even if I begin to write in the darkest despair, the subconscious mind always finds a way to lead me to hope.
Enjoyed your words this morning, Becca.
I tend not to go back and read, but my writing is generally in my journal and not the stream-of-consciousness type I think of as being morning pages. I do think writing is very therapeutic and am glad you have made a connection that is guiding your footsteps.
My 'aha' moment occurred while reading late last week. It was at a moment when I did not have a chance to pursue it and, when I went back the following day to explore further, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what had sparked my brain the day before. Back to square one...
It is in my words, whether sloppy, rough, angry, happy, incomplete sentences etc...that I truly find me. Sometimes it is hard to face the words that I write, but I do find that all my answers are there.
This past weekend I was doing a whirlwind family visit trip and didn't write for 3 days. I felt so disconnected from myself and frustrated and I am sure it could be sensed by others. My words in writing are how I express and I find that there are Aha moments each time I write.
Great thoughts Becca.
I don't so much get aha! moments as much as the writing grounds me, keeps me connected and sane. It helps me remember who I am. A couple times I've looked back through notebooks and been surprised by what I found there. In a good way.
I love the composting analogy.
It scares me to read my past writings/journals sometimes.
My biggest fear is I'm still dealing with the same fears/issues/problems. I don't want to see it in writing that I haven't come very far.
But then again, maybe I HAVE made progress on my documented "journey of self-discovery".
Only my journals know for sure.....for now.
Thanks for this post.
Something to think about.
I'm glad you found power in your voice and thoughts in those notebooks. I think we underestimate the power of our writing, our voice, our words and how they manifest the spirit. I'm inspired to dig through my own words ... xo, JP
I honestly thought there must be something wrong with me because I very rarely re-read what I have written (which often shows in my non-edits) but since you tend not to do so either, it must be normal :-)
And now after reading this post, I think I may find some time-- no, TAKE some time-- to do so!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to say... But if I do sit down to write regardless, sure enough, the magic begins... Like drinking water, I take the first uninterested sip and suddenly realize my thirst for more words. Then I take another sip, and one more, and again, another big gulp...
It's indeed this process of finding where I'm dry and nurturing those parts of me that is the best part of writing for me!
Hello, DONE becca!
Thanks for you work and have a good weekend. Happy easter.
Wow! That's amazing. I think I'll need to read over my morning pages next time I'm at a crossroads. Thanks for sharing--can't wait to hear about what you decided!
I wish I had kept a journal when I was younger but now I have my blog. It's all new to me and has changed me for the better. xxoo
Post a Comment
<< Home