Humans are often our own worst enemies due to the barriers we can unintentionally create for ourselves. Writers, however, have adapted this innate aspect of mankind and warped it into a self mandated challenge to see how far low into the dark screaming abyss of self-mental torture we can plummet downward. We can be our own "cruel mistress", whether we mean to or not, because it's ingrained in our history. For some, this came in the form of ""self medication" with enough liquor to kill the entire lineups of 90's Ozfests i.e. pretty much 1 out of every 3 authors you were forced to read in high school. Others experimented with different drugs in a perpetual mental adventure towards new forms of euphoria (Jack Kersouac was fond of abusing newly discovered medicines and seeing how high they could make him). Then there's Hunter S. Thompson, who's life goal was to replace his DNA with cocaine while saturating it in several hours of whiskey, because he seemed to measure his imbibing in time, not amounts.
(Seriously though, read this. It's Hunter's daily ritual during his thriving years as a creative force:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/hunter-s-thompson-s-daily-routine-was-the-height-of-dissolution-a6798801.html
And yet, I suffer from crippling heart burn if a drink lemonade too quickly.)
This self torture makes itself appear to be the key to unlocking creative greatness as my examples are heralded as geniuses in their pursuits in many literary circles. But that's not for me or you. There was some form of perfect but accidental chemistry happening with them. We require a balanced diet and a somewhat sober lifestyle in order to just remain productive.
But the worse things we inflict on ourselves is not what we can shoot, snort, or pour into our bodies but the negative thinking we unleash on our innocent creative sides. My main focus here is on an unnervingly common practice that seems innocent enough but holds a toxicity that buries itself deep. I'm talking about the anti-pep talk of "My writing sucks". No. Stop it. You're better than that.
In Natalie Goldberg's gem Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, the author describes a friend with a daily writing habit of writing down something to the effect of "I'm going to write crap today and that's okay" as a mantra which precluded every writing session. This problematic for several reasons:
1. Self Fulfilling Prophecy: Essentially, when you dictate to yourself that you will write crap, spoiler alert, you probably won't think it's good content, even if it is.
2. The profound effects it can have on your mental state is more damaging than you think. If you drink some tequila, blindfold yourself, spin 3 times, and then randomly point at a book in your Barnes & Noble, you should probably stop drinking in public. Also, your digit will more than likely land on an author who's barraged themselves with venom laced, mental bombs of negativity. But in truth, constant negative reinforcement can actually stunt the creative spurts. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prime-your-gray-cells/201108/happy-brain-happy-life
3. You're. Better. Than. This. Period.
Writing is a form of exercise. No matter what you write, you're developing yourself more and more like an athlete who has to constantly practice their athletic craft everyday. Listen, you won't love the words when they first appear. And that's okay. Child birth is messy too, but it's also a beautiful wonder. Just don't go for the figurative jugular right away if you feel a pang of disappointment in your work. Your writing is always a work in progress, so to me it's unfair to label it as "crappy" or "sucky" or "The Miami Dolphins". Remember, you're learning and doing better every time you muster up the courage to sit down and face the searing bright whiteness of a blank page.
- Morgan Cain
(Seriously though, read this. It's Hunter's daily ritual during his thriving years as a creative force:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/hunter-s-thompson-s-daily-routine-was-the-height-of-dissolution-a6798801.html
And yet, I suffer from crippling heart burn if a drink lemonade too quickly.)
This self torture makes itself appear to be the key to unlocking creative greatness as my examples are heralded as geniuses in their pursuits in many literary circles. But that's not for me or you. There was some form of perfect but accidental chemistry happening with them. We require a balanced diet and a somewhat sober lifestyle in order to just remain productive.
But the worse things we inflict on ourselves is not what we can shoot, snort, or pour into our bodies but the negative thinking we unleash on our innocent creative sides. My main focus here is on an unnervingly common practice that seems innocent enough but holds a toxicity that buries itself deep. I'm talking about the anti-pep talk of "My writing sucks". No. Stop it. You're better than that.
In Natalie Goldberg's gem Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, the author describes a friend with a daily writing habit of writing down something to the effect of "I'm going to write crap today and that's okay" as a mantra which precluded every writing session. This problematic for several reasons:
1. Self Fulfilling Prophecy: Essentially, when you dictate to yourself that you will write crap, spoiler alert, you probably won't think it's good content, even if it is.
2. The profound effects it can have on your mental state is more damaging than you think. If you drink some tequila, blindfold yourself, spin 3 times, and then randomly point at a book in your Barnes & Noble, you should probably stop drinking in public. Also, your digit will more than likely land on an author who's barraged themselves with venom laced, mental bombs of negativity. But in truth, constant negative reinforcement can actually stunt the creative spurts. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prime-your-gray-cells/201108/happy-brain-happy-life
3. You're. Better. Than. This. Period.
Writing is a form of exercise. No matter what you write, you're developing yourself more and more like an athlete who has to constantly practice their athletic craft everyday. Listen, you won't love the words when they first appear. And that's okay. Child birth is messy too, but it's also a beautiful wonder. Just don't go for the figurative jugular right away if you feel a pang of disappointment in your work. Your writing is always a work in progress, so to me it's unfair to label it as "crappy" or "sucky" or "The Miami Dolphins". Remember, you're learning and doing better every time you muster up the courage to sit down and face the searing bright whiteness of a blank page.
Writing Exercise #3: It did what?!?!?!
Time: 20-30 minutes, non-stop (Keep typing or writing for the duration, no breaks)
Time: 20-30 minutes, non-stop (Keep typing or writing for the duration, no breaks)
As a counter point to the perceived heat I might have put on Natalie Goldberg's book, let me just say that it's a whimsically fun resource book that every writer should have access to all the time. Case in point: The following exercise that I've borrowed from her book, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
On one side of a piece of paper, list 10 different nouns. On the opposite side, list at least 15 verbs associated with professions (Butcher-cut, Nurse-bandage, Chef-cook,etc.) Now match up the nouns and verbs randomly to see if you can write them together in a sentence. As Goldberg puts it, the whole point is to "be aware of your verbs and the power they have and use them in a fresh way
On one side of a piece of paper, list 10 different nouns. On the opposite side, list at least 15 verbs associated with professions (Butcher-cut, Nurse-bandage, Chef-cook,etc.) Now match up the nouns and verbs randomly to see if you can write them together in a sentence. As Goldberg puts it, the whole point is to "be aware of your verbs and the power they have and use them in a fresh way
- Morgan Cain
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