When (not) to write

When (not) to write

I had a question on instagram the other day:

“When you sit to write, do you write about a particular topic or write down whatever arises in your mind?”

Mmmm. A bit of both. The most important part for me is the feeling that I’m writing from. Because for me, writing is an attention exercise.

Where attention goes, energy flows. So in that sense, writing is a way to create more of something. Words are spells which always hint at the mind-state of the author. You can tell a lot about who someone is by how they speak or write, and when they choose not to.

I usually have some kind of ritual which primes me to write from the state of being that I wish to consolidate. Before there is any consolidation, however, there is an emptying of the mind. Lately I’ve been using horse stance to do this, then sitting with a cup of tea, then writing.

Whether I’m writing or not, I don’t like to dwell on things that are bothering me. I don’t want to push them away either (this is just as reactive / magnetising), I just want to be neutral. Grounded. Clear. Alive in the present. So…

The horse stance flushes sensation through my body to “clear away” the junk. It’s uncomfortable, but I’m getting better at relaxing through it. The sitting is where I get to marinate in the endorphins from the horse stance, which helps me not to get magnetised for/against thoughts arising from my subconscious.

And with more neutrality in respect to the feelings or thoughts “brought up” by this ritual, I can almost always write from a place that feels true, interesting and useful (for me and for others).

When you write, you are constantly curating your subjective reality. You don’t have to believe in this. You don’t have to do anything to “make it happen”. Actually, you’re being creative all the time — even when you aren’t writing. But writing gives you a powerful opportunity to create and reflect in the very same instant.

Your subconscious sends you words and your conscious mind uses these words as feedback. This means you’re able to get to know yourself and decide who you want to be. Just pay gentle attention to where the words are coming from, without stopping the flow.

What about you? How would you answer the original question?

And out of interest, how often do you deliberately work with your dreams?

E-mail me back at hello@attuned.space