A simple question from a trusted friend led to an answer I wasn’t expecting. That’s what a good question can do. He’d noticed that I seemed to be be more inspired to write lately, and was curious to know what had shifted for me. I’d noticed it too, but hadn’t thought to wonder why.
So why had I let writing fall by the wayside, and what had helped me pick it back up again? It wasn’t because I didn’t think it mattered, because it did, does, and will matter, which might have been part of the problem. I began taking a serious thing too seriously. Writing has to lead to something specific, or why go to all that work without knowing where it will lead? Because I haven’t landed on exactly where it is leading, I guess I simply stopped writing.
Then, on March 8th, a rainbow appeared on our hike and I wanted to write about it. And so I did. On March 9th, the wind came up while we were having our morning coffee, and I wanted to write about it. And so I did. On March 10th, a framed photo of my geologist took me on a time-travel trip, and I wanted to write about it. and so I did.
The more I write, the more fun I have, and the more fun I have the more I want to write.
However.
Not every day comes with a fresh writing idea, which can get in the way of actually sitting down to write. So I decided to have a little fun with that, too. I have an ongoing list of things to write about, but a list feels far too serious and not the least bit playful. To remedy that, instead of a list I write each idea on a scrap of paper, fold it up, and toss it in a bowl on my desk. At first I was going to use a paper cutter to create same-size squares to throw into the bowl. But straight lines and equidimensional pieces of paper feel too serious, too, so I rip with abandon. And doing anything with abandon sounds a lot like play
Writing is a way to play around with ideas and see where that playing leads. And the cool thing about writing is that it always leads somewhere, even if that somewhere is a dead end. And the cool thing about finding yourself at a dead end is that you get to find your way back and try again. And the cool thing about trying again is that now you have more information about where you don’t want to go. And the cool thing about knowing where you don’t want to go is that it helps you know a little bit more about where you do. And the cool thing about knowing more about where you want to go is that you can begin to take steps in that direction, however small they may be. And the cool thing about taking steps in the direction you want to go is that you begin to get traction and momentum toward something that you’ve decided matters. And the cool thing about knowing what matters is it helps you know what doesn’t. And the cool thing about knowing what does and doesn’t matter is it helps you know where and how and to whom to give of yourself, and where and how and to whom to not.
And that, my friend, is serious business.
If you have something you want me to throw in my Bowl O’ Ideas, please send it my way, and I’ll see if I can play around with it.
