the craft. refocusing.
My focus has been all over the place the last few weeks. It started with a friend’s personal emergency, and kind of spread from there. I’ve been a bit anxious, distracted and otherwise caught up in the land of attention deficit. It’s wild how things can throw you into a frenzy only to have to claw your way back to your creativity. When life starts happening, most often, our writing is one of the first things to take the hit.
This is why process is so important. Process shows up for me, when my mind doesn’t want to so even still, I’ve been toiling away at this work in progress. I’ve given myself grace in that, if I only open the project to add an idea I dreamed about, that’s good enough. I don’t have to write thousands of words every time, but I can read, think, and generally live with the story and characters for a bit and that counts.
This week, I had a meeting with a newly formed writing group which I’m excited about to keep me motivated and accountable. And I wanted to share a few things with you that you may be able to use to refocus and center yourself as well.
At a basic level to get myself focused with writing, there are a few small things I do to get myself in the zone that includes opening all the blinds to let the light in, lighting a grounding scent whether it be a candle or incense, and making myself a cup of tea. Something about that ritual makes me immediately feel like it is time to get down to business.
When I’m a bit more in need of some grounding, I tend to go over to reading something really good. I mean Akwaeke Emezi and Diane McKinney Whetstone are two faves to get my wheels turning or I turn on a movie that’s in the vein of what I’m trying to get to. Currently, I’m trying to write some real romance, so Love Jones and The Photograph are on deck for the weekend.
I’m also one of those writers who needs to get out. As a work from home girlie, the apartment gets a little static, and I’ve been convincing myself to get out to one of the two coffee shops in my neighborhood or even the co-working space in my building. Having that dedicated time to focus on my work as opposed to being distracted by dishes in the sink, the laundry I didn’t do, etc.
In my current headspace, I need a bit more heavy artillery. When I first came back from Italy over the summer, I had it, the juice. I rewrote the intro to my work in progress, felt like I had a really great grasp on the story, and frankly felt like that girl. But some of the magic of the Tuscan sun has since worn off, and I’m about 22k words in trying to launch into act two. I realize that it’s not about my will or my ability to write the story, but trying to get my body back into it.
Writing really is this consuming thing. And when you have all this life to live in between, the interruptions, the “we have to also work so we survive” type things, the back and forth can cause real breaks in writing rhythm. So we have to learn ways to shut out the world and get ourselves into the mindset to write, and more importantly to write well.
I think it was a white elephant type jig where I wound up with a book called Writing Begins with the Breath by Laraine Herring. I love having so many writing books because when I tell you, you can just pick one up and get what you need! It all sounds a little woo woo, I know, but you have to do what you have to do to get these words to flow.
I love this quote from Herring that says, “Deep writing comes from our bodies, from our breath, and from our ability to remain solid in the places that scare us. It comes from merging with what we are writing - from dissolving our egos so that the real work can emerge through us, without our conditions for success attached to it.”
There’s so much here. We have to be in a good mindset to write. I know that isn’t always convenient to deadlines, but it’s the truth. It’s like anything else. When I’m cooking with resentment, my food comes out terrible. But when I take my time, when I think about the joy of nourishing others, food is always banked. I believe writing is the same way. Whether it’s breathwork, journaling, etc. to get us in the right direction, it’s necessary if we’re going to crank out good stuff. Seeing Italy was helpful, okay? There was a clarity and calmness that I returned with. However, we won’t all be able to go to Italy every time we need to complete something, but here’s a few exercises that Herring shared that may help.
Body Break - 1
Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Breathe normally for a few breaths. Then close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale fully through your left nostril. Release the right nostril and close the left nostril with the right ring finger. Exhale slowly and fully through the right nostril. Keeping the left nostril closed, inhale fully through the right. Release up to eight times. Then relax and breathe normally.
Why? Increases mental clarity, balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and evokes a sense of relaxed vitality.
Body Break - 2
Take a moment to lie down on your back on the floor. If your back is tender, you can bend your knees, and keep the soles of your feet on the floor, or you can put a pillow underneath your knees. Allow your arms to rest beside you, palms up. Close your eyes. You may wish to place an eye pillow over your eyes if you have difficulty keeping them closed. Lie here as long as you like. This is a place of deep relaxation and awareness. You are not asleep, but you are still.
Why? This posture helps stimulate the imagination. Also, because you’re on your back, your heart is open, allowing you to experience both vulnerability and surrender. Your body is experiencing a place of safe openness - a place of trust from which you can dare to risk.
Touchtones
Journal for at least fifteen minutes on each of the following prompts:
When I’m at a crossroads, I …
Change means …
Fear means …
Risk means …
These are just a few exercises to try to unstick yourself, to focus, and bring yourself back into the room. If you try any of these, let me know if they work for you. And let’s get re-focused together so we can get this work done.
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