The Big Three of Rituals: Meaning, Mindset and Entry Points

A simple, short post today, as I have written about writing rituals a good deal already. Over time, I have really come to believe that a short, consistent writing ritual is one of the key ingredients to a consistent (habituated), healthy (cognitively benign, appropriate length, ending on the downhill,) writing session (and therefore, writing life, as we only have one session at a time). Of course, many writers/scholars get by without them. However, if you have struggled with consistent writing you may wish to really take a ritual seriously. 

There are three central issues to consider when developing your writing ritual--meaning, mindset and entry points. Developing a ritual that has personal and or social meaning to you helps you create a sense of purpose to your writing outside of the dictates of demands and expectations. A short meditation or mindfulness practice, and/or self talk to counter the destructive narratives that you may currently hold, allow writing to be cognitively benign at least, and dog forbid, joyful (it is possible, really). Finally, a clear entry point at the end of your ritual, the exact place where you start (page, paragraph and even sentence), helps you avoid the dreaded paralysis by analysis that can too easily occur when you start considering where to begin.

Oh, and make certain your writing ritual is short--certainly under five minutes.

The ONLY Reason to Skip Your Writing Session

 The Only Reason Not to Write

When we teach, we get to our classes unless there is a medical emergency, or a previously planned conference or such. We don’t say to ourselves, “I don’t feel like teaching today, I will move the class until later that day.” We also don’t just not show up and not let anyone know--that would be a big deal. Similarly, if someone emails us and asks us if we have a meeting, we won’t cancel the class for it. Unless someone is giving us a Nobel prize or something. 

So why do you do that with your writing sessions? I ask this almost rhetorically, but some of the possible answers suggest why you may be missing writing sessions.

1. You actually don’t have healthy, sustainable-length sessions but instead have a large block of time, so there is nothing really to change part of you knows sitting in your chair for hours is self-abusive, but I digress.

2. You are not accountable to anyone for it

3. Writing is important, but not urgent (usually)

4. You have more psychological baggage around writing (self downing, internalized expectations, anxieties) than teaching

5. You don’t have self-talk skills honed to help you keep your writing session.

This is why I tell clients there is only one reason to change a writing session: Blood. 

Blood.

Dog bleeding, child bleeding, you bleeding.

Blood.

I am only half joking. I am not telling how often you have to write (addressed elsewhere in this blog), but if your intention is to write at a given time, it would be wise to develop the same attitude toward your writing sessions that you have about teaching. If you have an emergency (blood) of course, you can reschedule it. However, we want to make writing sessions that we schedule non-negotiable. 

This does not mean that you don’t have compassion for yourself as you work toward being consistent and getting yourself to your writing sessions. Shame is a cause of our problems, not a solution. I am all for self acceptance and self love. What it does mean, however, is that you need to develop a constellation of skills and tools that help you get yourself to your healthy, sustainably, cognitively benign writing sessions. Habits, rituals, decisions on timing, accountability, self talk, working on our internal barriers, and other tools can help.

So, if there is no blood, you probably can have your writing session, even if it is for ten minutes, even if it sucks.

Write, Publish, Thrive is Back!

Well, after a good long hiatus, I have decided to start back to blogging! I needed that break--8 years and 800 plus posts was a lot! I feel reenergized, and with a few book projects completed, it is a great time to use "writing as method of inquiry" to rethink some of what I have learned about writing, the psychological barriers to writing, and how academics can thrive. 

I am thankful to all of you who have followed my posts over the years, and hope to reengage old and new friends!

Cognitively Benign Writing Session

I am not sure if I have written about this concept before, but I talk to clients about it all the time. What an odd choice of words for an act that so many people have so many strong feelings about. Benign. Why not excited, happy, joyful? 

Well, these are great to experience, for sure, but each of them is dependent upon evaluations/judgments about how your writing session is going. If you can evaluate a session as good, you will judge other sessions as bad.

But to not judge, not evaluate the actual process and to just sink into it, allow oneself to just be in the writing and not judge the actual session as good or bad? That is what I am getting at: trusting the process, working on what we do and learn to not judge or evaluate it. In this sense, or sessions can become benign--we can sink into them and just write, without emotion, day after day. 

It really is possible. It really is a good place to be. It is not easy though--it takes a lot of work to get there.

Try to get there 😀

Normal, Not Normal

I am having a day that feels almost normal. I drove up from Tacoma to spend a few hours in Seattle before dinner with a friend. Right now I am having wine outside in a "cute" neighborhood. I just had a focused half hour writing session that was super productive and stress free. I also cranked out 500 words of focused free writing on an article--not much work to clean it up either.

It has felt good to feel almost normal.  I have masked up, showed my vaccine record in my lunch spot that required it, and now, outside, I am without mask. It is nice, but I feel almost guilty. Shedding that will take some work.

I almost feel strange that I feel so relaxed, not worried at all about COVID at all. But it is there, in the background. It is going to take a long time to feel normal even when we go back to normal life, when, if...sigh....

Today, I feel grateful for a bit of normal, for the privileges that I have that allow me to enjoy the day.

I Don't Hate Goals

At times, I give the impression that I am anti-goal setting. I really am not. What I believe, however, is that focusing too much on goals without clearly defining and then leaning into your processes rarely leads to good outcomes. Think about it--a goal in and off itself does not make you more creative, faster, a better writer, etc. You are what you are.

 Thanks Rich, captain obvious!!!!! 

But really, you are your awesomeness all the time--what you may lack are good processes that help you actualize yourself fully in a healthy and sustainable way!

Good processes are what help you actualize who you are and bring out the best of your work. Have goals, but then develop and master your processes that will help you attain them. In the moment of writing or creative work, allowing your goals to enter can lead to anxiety and tension.

I Don't Understand Why I Don't Get Writing Done!

 A cartoon by Joe Dator, here.