We all have something we do even though we don't like it about ourselves. Some have no sense of direction, and have to allow extra time to be lost when going to a new place.
I don't have time perception. I have to place prompts in my phone to make sure I stay on task. While this can be perceived as the worst flaw imaginable, it can be an excellent tool for us as writers. There is definitely a real upside to this malady, and I'll show you how to harness this idle time.
The best illustration I can give you is from Elizabeth Gilbert's book, Eat Pray Love. I'd like to share it with you, and tell you how it can change your writing forever.
To start I'd like to share a quote from her book:
Of course, we all inevitably work too hard, then we get burned out and have to spend the whole weekend in our pajamas, eating cereal straight out of the box and staring at the TV in a mild coma (which is the opposite of working, yes, but not exactly the same thing as pleasure). Americans really don't know how to do nothing. This is the cause of that great American stereotype - the overstressed executive who goes on vacation, but who cannot relax.
I once asked Luca Spaghetti if Italians on vacation have the same problem. He laughed so hard he nearly drove his motorbike into a fountain.
"Oh, no!" he said. "We are the masters of il bel far niente."
This is a sweet expression. Il bel far niente means the beauty of doing nothing.
Not all nothingness is created equal. This is the hardest part to conquer and understand. When you get up in the morning, check your email, and log onto Facebook, this isn't the kind of nothingness I mean. The type I'm talking about is much more deliberate.
Sometimes we need to plan to have the luxury of nothingness. We need time to reconnect with our inner voices, the one we can't hear due to the chatter and chaos all around us.
Today, take thirty minutes to be somewhere free of distraction. See what happens with your writing when you do, and of course, share it with all of us. We aren't all wired the same. This is important to remember with this exercise.
Plan an outing. I know I have a compulsive addiction for caffeine, especially cappuccinos. I know that as a mother, if it gets too quiet, I will just fall asleep, and this is when an outing may be in order. Don't plan to meet someone, or even to do something in particular. We just need to be open to relax, and have no agenda other than going to the park, mall, or coffee shop to observe people. It's this form of nothingness that gives me the best ideas. Bring yourself a notebook to jot down your observations.
Be prepared to amaze yourself. By spending time enjoying nothing, you will be opening your mind to an onslaught of story ideas. Don't be discouraged if this takes a while to begin to manifest itself in your writing. This delay happens because we don't like letting go of control of the writing process, but the pleasure of nothing is where it all begins.
| "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— | |
| I took the one less traveled by, | |
| And that has made all the difference." ~ Robert Frost, 1920. |
For next week, I want you to take the road less traveled. Make a date with yourself to spend an afternoon, and let the day take you. Don't forget to bring a notebook, and write down anything that sparks your interest. Sometimes the day is so consuming that you have to do this activity for half an hour at the end of it.
Have you ever experienced the beauty of doing nothing? How did it affect your writing? Have you heard the quiet voice of your soul? Or maybe you've observed someone that has captivated your interest, and crept into one of your stories. Please share your experience with us.
Laurie Epps is a non-fiction author,
essayist, editor, and poet living in Anderson, South Carolina. A seeker of beauty, her
is dream is to travel the world one day and tell their many stories. To read
more of Laurie's stories visit her Thoughtful Thursday column dedicated to the
art of Poetry at:
Laurie, thanks for legitimizing doing nothing! I just got back from a writing vacation. I did research, I wrote, and then I did a little of nothing, notebook at my side. It was very productive. You've given some suggestions for ways to transfer "goofing off" to my daily routine,
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, I am so glad to oblige. I know when I work so hard to come up with an idea, then it eludes me like a flitting butterfly in a garden. But when I open myself up to the world, and all it's possibilities, the muse strikes and my best ideas evolve and cultivate from nowhere. Be open to life, and what it could endlessly be. Thanks for your input. Blessings, Laurie
DeleteLaurie, thanks for validating my escape from my day job yesterday to a nearby lake. Caffeine in hand, "the voice of my soul" whispered a much improved first scene for my novel and infused new energy into the final draft.
ReplyDeleteHi Myrna, Wow. Where did you get said coffee? Maybe we can all go there for some Mojo. All joking aside, thank you for your candor and validation of this concept. I still have to figure out an effective way to take notes in the shower, for the whispers of genius also speak to me there as well. Blessings, Laurie
DeleteGreat timing, Laurie. I'm headed to the mountains next week and will plan times of doing just that--nothing!
ReplyDeleteHi Vonda, Thank you so much for your encouragement to fellow writers. But yes, sometimes we all have to slow down to hear our inner voice. It is whispering to us our opus. We cannot hear this calling if we are running around in twenty direction all at once. Sometimes we must stop long enough to listen to the yearnings of our imagination. This exercise is not just good for our writing, but also our soul.
DeleteBlessings,
Laurie
Great post, Laurie! I used to feel guilty for my times of nothingness. We Americans believe perpetual motion = productivity. It does NOT, and I think it's one of the reasons we have so many health problems. I did a little research on the benefits of rest, especially disengaged periods of solitude, and changed my view. Those quiet times are making me healthier!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your insight.
Dear Susan, I agree wholeheartedly. We try so hard to do everything and often all at once. This isn't good for our writing, our health, or our soul. It makes us tired, agitated, and burnt out. We must escape from the shackles of our chaotic lifestyles, and just be.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Blessings,
Laurie
Thanks for the reminder, Laurie. I often glean the best insights when I'm doing nothing. I need to have a notebook nearby though, because I remember things best when they're written down. Then I can look at something concrete and develop it from there.
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen, I operate much the same way, and it is slowly becoming part of my process. I have a collision of ideas at times, but with more time to do nothing, I can cultivate those ideas and sort them out.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Blessings,
Laurie
Laurie, thanks for this post. Giving myself the "right" to slow down, is something I've been working on, lately. Appreciate your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteDear Sandy, As a single mom, full-time student, and editorial intern I do have a bit of a problem slowing down myself too, but it always so positively affects my writing. This post is evidence of that. I put my homework away on Valentines, and I went out with a friend. Then, on Sunday, I took my daughter to a movie. These are both activities very foreign to me. This column for today is the result. It works.
DeleteBlessings,
Laurie
I'm a big fan of Flylady.com who teaches the frazzled world how to manage time. Her method is simple: Set the clock for 15 minutes and do what you need to do as fast as you can. The trick is to stop when the timer goes off. It's amazing what can be accomplished in a short 15 minutes. Every 45 minutes, you must take a 15 minute break before starting on the next task. Writers could benefit from this by writing as fast as we can in 15 minutes, then take another 15 minutes away from writing to do something else. It might not work for everyone but it's worth a try.
ReplyDeleteWow Linda. I know what you mean. I used to follow Flylady.com years ago, and I just stopped about six years ago. I have noticed a definite difference in my household, but hadn't thought to apply it to my writing. It is worth a shot. I think I will accept your challenge and write about it next month. Thank you for the idea.
DeleteBlessings, Laurie
What a wonderful idea, Laurie! Sometimes it is in the quiet moments that we really hear whispers of characters and whispers from God's heart.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle. I confess, most of the time it is easier to say to do nothing to hear the voice of your inner voice, or the calling of God than it is to actually do. I know, I am a single mother, full-time student and intern for Edie. Often, there just isn't enough of me to go around. But it always pays off, and pays off big. So it is well worth the concerted effort. So start of small, and build from there.
DeleteBlessings,
Laurie
Honestly, I'd love to be the queen of doing nothing. But something always comes up! ;) I do find that with writing, I usually have so many ideas floating through my head that need to be done, I sometimes have to put it all away and go for a run...or watch a favorite TV show works better. When I'm running, I'm still thinking too much! But give me an episode of NCIS, and my brain goes blank.
ReplyDeleteHi Celeste, I definitely feel your pain. I am spread pretty thin these days myself. (See Comment above) But I do know about the blankness of the mind. For me, those empty moments always happen in WalMart. I become too overstimulated by all of the excessive marketing. Now, I just stopped shopping there. I do have to go through one once a year when my brother sends me a gift check at Christmas and then I swear I won't go there again. So schedule your quiet time, maybe not as fun, but ever bit as effective.
DeleteBlessings,
Laurie
Great post, Laurie. It helped me realize that my lack of production is due, at least in part, to my lack of nothingness.
ReplyDeleteThat's right Bruce. You are cultivating your inner muse to be truly great!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Laurie