I found myself on a frantic de-cluttering spree yesterday--possibly inspired by staying in bed reading until 11:30 AM and then drinking a pot of coffee—I pulled boxes and bags out of the closet, tossed out those “someday-I-might-use-these-for-a-collage” magazines, created folders and spaces for the floater papers that so sneakily nest in a pile on the dining room table.
For the most part, it was time to say good-bye to the stack of journals, 5 years in the making, that I’ve been carting around (and creating) through several moves, in several cities, jobs, and educational programs. More importantly, it was time to let go of the material proof of my creative process and let go of the idea that I might somehow use this as fodder for future work.
Why, you ask, is this so necessary? How, you ask, does this improve my ability as writer?
If there is one thing I experience day in and day out as I wrestle with my creativity, (and the entire reason why I am a huge proponent of Morning Pages) it’s this: the less I tax my conscious and subconscious brain with expectations and responsibilities, the more I am able to create with a natural and deep ease. It just isn’t practical to obsess over the poems I could have written yesterday, when there is plenty of poetry to write today.
Take stock of what nags you when you sit down to write, find a way to address it, and say good-bye.
Mishon
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