On journaling and other writing.
Writing helps me focus. By journaling in the morning, I can 'download' my thoughts, feelings and observations to the page, clearing my head while getting my brain working creatively. There's no form, just a few paragraphs on what's going on and what I'm thinking. I don't judge what I've written; I just write. This clears the way for more creative work. Here is a brief description of my journaling and writing habits.
Journals
I wake up between 6 and 630am. I have a glass of water, wash my face, brush my teeth and do some stretching. Next, I perform several rounds of breathing exercise per the Wim Hof method, followed by meditation. Then, I grab a cup of coffee and begin writing. In a daily planner, I record a brief description of the previous day's events and metrics including: wake and sleep times, meals ate, and miles walked. Recording these details lets me look back on what the day was like and what I accomplished.In another notebook, I make a journal entry everyday (well, almost everyday). Usually I'll write about what happened the previous day. Journaling lets me write about anything and everything, in no particular order. I can get whatever's floating around in my mind onto the page. This is a great morning practice because I can exercise my brain by focusing on the writing. Last year, I journaled everyday for 80 days which solidified journaling as part of my morning routine. After journaling I will work on a blog post (as I am doing now) or another creative writing project.
Notebooks
While watching or listening to something throughout the day, I will jot down details in another notebook (I have lots of notebooks). I do this for later reference but also because note-taking helps to remember details. Sometimes these notes become a blog post or another piece of writing. Browsing through my notebook, I see notes on various topics strewn about; they include my interests at that particular time, my observations, and my thoughts.
Typewriting
Since picking up a typewriter last week, I've been experimenting with different styles of writing. Sometimes I'll write a journal-style piece or a creative-nonfiction essay. Last week, I took a scene from a fictional novel I'm writing and tried it out on the typewriter. As an exercise, I re-wrote the screen from memory to see how it would come out. With the typewriter, I'm learning not to 'micro-edit'. When I write on the computer, I'll immediately edit what I wrote instead of getting it down as it comes and editing later, like I do with the typewriter. Plus, the typewriter is just fun to use.
Whether using a pencil in a journal, blogging on my laptop, or using a typewriter, writing helps me focus. It lets me spit out all my thoughts and organize them. I enjoy the editing process, where random sentences can come together into a cohesive piece. Even if I don't work on a project, I'm still glad I journaled that day. I will always find the time and place to write. When I'm writing, I'm only focused on what's in front of me.
Until next time,
KW