Category Archives: writing

Writing

Posted on by
8

*sigh*

It’s possible that of them all, my relationship with writing is my healthiest. I love it and it loves me, a lifelong love affair. Neither of us harbors unrealistic expectations of the other. Each is wholly joyful when the other shows up to play, and neither feels jealous when the other has been away a while. We are intimate, honest, no pretenses, no conditions; full of possibility and openness. Our encounters are colorful, expressive, portable. I can think of few interactions that so consistently provide such comfort, relief, connection, and insight. True love.

How is my writing already good?
–I enjoy it so much, it makes me so happy, and it makes me better. If I did it just for me, this would be enough.
–My writing for others is generally well received, based on feedback: clinic notes, Day of Care summaries, letters, cards, emails, social media posts and comments, and this blog. So I do some good for others with my writing, which is rewarding.
–I have a distinct voice, which I work to keep honest and authentic. I write about serious things and I choose my words with serious intent, for the most part. I try also, however, to not take myself too seriously when I write (or ever).
–I show up to my writing all me, all in. I moderate the BOOBS OUTness according to circumstances. I feel both humble and confident about my better output, glad to have it out in the world.

How could I do it better?
–Distinct voice notwithstanding, my style could be more polished, no? Not sure what that would read/sound like…I have a feeling the book will read differently from the blog?
–Conciseness. I think I’m getting better at this? Some see my triplet tendency as redundant. So I will ask more often now whether one word is good enough when I typically use three (wince).
–Discipline. Daily. Huh. Not sure what book work will look like, but it definitely needs to be more consistent than my writing habits to date. More on this tomorrow…
–Judgment. Looking back, I have been harsh when editing others’ writing. I regret this. I know how to be kinder and gentler now.
–Diversify. That Creativity poem post was super fun to write, and surprisingly easy. I thought on October 31 that I could try more poetry this month, but it took starting a post at 11:30pm to make me actually do it. And I feel a fiction niggle somewhere deep in my intuition of possibility… oooooo…

What’s already good about society’s writing?

Holy COW, the talent. My jaw drops at the utter giftedness of writers all around the world, in every genre. The imagination, vulnerability, creativity, insight, eloquence–OH MY GOD I stand, sit, read, and listen in awe too often to count. I will never get to benefit from all of the amazing authors’ works–I think that is why I feel urgency to consume as many books as possible–it’s more the addictive GOC (Glow of Consumption) than FOMO. BRAVA and BRAVO to all writers out there–STRONG WORK and WRITE ON!!

Utterly inclusive community OMG. Once again I nod to romance. I wrote to my book club friends, “My romance immersion has broadened my life more than I could have imagined. I connect with readers, writers, and narrators/voice actors directly and learn all about the art, the work, the processes. I have experienced renaissance sexual and relational education that would be hard to get any other way as easily or enjoyably. As with any good fiction, the empathic connection and insights I gain from these books is shockingly useful and applicable in my work and life. The writing community I have connected with through consuming romance is incredibly diverse, knowledgeable, and inclusive. It has all only made my life exponentially better, which I cannot say about many other things..maybe joining my gym.” I see collegiality and mutual advocacy in few other fields as much as among writers–they promote one another’s books, collaborate often, and generally just celebrate each other. What a fabulous example for other professions to emulate!

How could we write better together?

Stop with the banning. Or don’t, actually. The more restrictive and controlling an authority gets, the more it attempts to repress ideas, the more creative, incisive, and subversive the ideas get. The strongest, more inspirational and widely rallying ideas emerge in writing, and always find their intended audience, ban or no ban. So go ahead, ban whatever you want. See what happens. I can just hear my fellow writers: “Bring it.”

Keep it real, not cheap. Text, email, social media posts and comments, direct messages, etc: Fast, convenient, easy. Also high risk for misinterpretation. misunderstanding, and relationship damage. I transgress as much as anyone. Let us slow down and attend to all forms of communication with the presence and respect we all deserve from one another. Less ‘on-the-fly,’ more ‘I’m here with you,’ even if ‘here’ is not face to face.

More snail mail. Write by hand, send it through the post. It’s love on paper and it is priceless. Challenge: This holiday, ink your greetings personally, even just a few words and a smiley face. It will take more time and effort. See how it affects your connections.

30/30 tomorrow, my friends, woo hoooooooo!! What a month in time to debrief, can’t wait can’t wait!

Creativity

Posted on by
1

Normally I hate to rhyme
But tonight I’ve run out of time
Because I really want to get to bed
And this post has still not formed in my head

So I’ll try something new again, yes?
And attempt my readers to impress
With some on-the-fly verse
In my experimental mindset I immerse!

How is my creativity already good?
It starts when I reject the “should”
When I honor my own desire to create
I can let go or embrace things I’d normally hate!

Making things brings me such joy
When both left and right brains I readily employ
To create from love, connection, and skill
My highest values I share and fulfill

I prove to myself the things I can do
And show others they can do a lot, too.
Then we can all revel in the fun
Having bonded and made memories when we are done

How could I do creativity better?
Would it be painting, knitting or crafting a letter?
So many media, opportunities to learn
Anything new, I could take a turn

Probably some more armor to shed
Not even sure where it lives in my head
Fiction has always seemed an off-limits art
But perhaps I, too, can make up stories from the heart?

How do we collectively already create well?
This is where I feel really proud, hell–
What is there that we humans cannot do
When we let our imaginations free of conformist and conventional goo?

New ideas and creations spring forth any given moment
From necessity, inspiration, incentive, or torment
This is where I feel the most optimism and hope
Because anything we make could stop our slide down the slope
Of division, separation, violence and greed
If we our highest humanity heed

So how can we do creativity better?
How can each of us be a making jetsetter?
Free our minds and hearts, I want to shout!
It is only by trying that we may find out
What great heights of connection we could achieve
If only I, you, and we all really believe

That no matter what fuckups we’ve perpetrated to date,
As long as we love it’s still not too late
We can always create, make at least one thing good
Because while we are all still here each one of us could
Choose to show up with imagination, openness, and, “Hmmmm”
And get our most collaborative vibes to thrum

Hey this has been pretty good, don’t you think?
And it only took a few minutes of rink and tink
Maybe poetry is what I might try more of soon
I could give it another shot before the next moon.

For now, however, four in the month left to go
I have ideas beyond November to show
But off to bed for me, and friends–
May your day be bright and your joy never end!


NaBloPoMo 2023: What’s Already Good, and What Could Be Better?

Posted on by
6

“Tell me about your eating patterns: What’s already healthy, and where is there room for improvement?”

In the last few years, I have found this to be the most agreeable way to start the conversation with patients about nutrition habits. We get defensive about our eating–so fascinating! Behavior change is complex; we all have our hangups, barriers, and motivators, and they all vary with context, always in flux, which can be so frustrating.

Starting from a strengths perspective, looking at what we do well–where our actions already align with our values and goals–frames habit change as taking the next step on an existing path of progress, rather than as self-judgment and remediation. It invites us to approach self-improvement with curiosity, creativity, and experimentation. When I had this idea of already good/could be better a week ago, I knew it had some connection to my book, and now I see it clearly. SO exciting! All of this inner work–the doing and writing about it–these last 8.5 years, has been in service of the Big Fat Hairy Project (BFHP) that could possibly come to fruition in the now foreseeable future… Wow.

This year, I will use NaBloPoMo as a writing lab of sorts. I will try a new challenge of setting 30 public prompts in advance. This will provide both constraint and freedom–oooo, fun–or not, we shall see! I will play around more with poetry, maybe? Storytelling? Resource lists? By the end of the month I want to feel joy, accomplishment, and wonder, having learned more about my process and evolved it a little, and produced some posts worth sharing and referencing. I will do my best to leash my inner critic, muzzle but not blindfold it, honor its innate purpose while keeping it in a corner, out of reach from my writing implements. I give myself permission to interpret my prompts broadly and respond in kind. And who knows, maybe after 30 days of (near) daily writing, I will have established an actual book writing habit!

I intend to approach each topic below from both a personal and a collective perspective. What’s already good about my own sleep, for instance, and also our sleep as a society? What could be better for me, and what would a system look like that facilitates optimal sleep for a population? Oooo, this could be cool. I often think vaguely, obtusely, in this individual/collective mindset, but this may be the first time I apply it to 30 topics in a row, directly and explicitly. Ohmygosh, how exciting.

Let’s see what happens, eh? Giddy up!

NaBloPoMo 2023 Prompts:

  1. Sleep
  2. Exercise
  3. Nutrition
  4. Stress management
  5. Relationships
  6. Reading
  7. Honesty
  8. Mindfulness
  9. Self-Compassion
  10. Polarity management
  11. Forgiveness
  12. Social media
  13. Integrity
  14. Accountability
  15. Balance
  16. Perspective
  17. Leadership
  18. Presence
  19. Romance
  20. Love
  21. Judgment
  22. Commitment
  23. Gratitude
  24. Flexibility
  25. Acceptance
  26. Creativity
  27. Education
  28. Politics
  29. Writing
  30. Debrief