Writing rituals
How necessary are writing rituals, a coach friend asked me recently. My response? Not very. Unless they are.
What I mean is: How do you write? Do you have any rituals that you currently use? Do they help you get writing? Is there a set time that you write? Are you a morning-or-it-doesn’t-happen type? Did you start journaling after you read The Artists Way, so you do the Morning Pages/brain-dump method? Do you do your writing in a set place? Do you need your favorite pen? A candle? Do you write for a certain amount of time, or a set amount of pages? Do you use prompts? Do you have a daily theme? Or maybe you write until you feel like you’ve said everything that needs to be said in that sitting?
Here’s what I know: it doesn’t really matter.
If rituals help you; if the time of day helps you get going, and if it helps to have a set amount of time or pages that you’re going to get out out of your head, then, yay. That’s the way you do it.
For me? It doesn’t matter. Any time, anywhere, any pen (although gel pens are my preference), I’m good to go. And I’m not attached to any rules or rituals – except sometimes in my workshops I’ve been known to light a candle to get started. I’ve written on trains, and planes; I’ve written while sitting in a pool (got to be very careful there); I’ve written at daybreak, at noon, in the middle of the night. Any time could be the right time to write.
The thing is to find your way; discover what works for you. Experiment. Mix up the things you focus on. Vent your frustrations, gravitate to gratitude. Write about the day; write on themes; write for legacy; write for fun. Write to learn who you are.
However and wherever you do it, with rituals or without, writing can bring you closer to yourself. And that’s always a good thing.
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