How To Get Started Writing Daily
“Let it flow, let yourself go.”
The Beastie Boys (from Slow and Low)
Freewriting is a timed piece of writing done without stopping your hand from moving. The practice is an integral part of The Artist Way program where it is referred to as Morning Pages. The action preferably happens in the morning upon waking but can be done anytime. It is better to do it late than not at all. The time you set aside to write is your sacred space away from the busyness of daily life. Generally, this writing is not meant to be shared with others. It is where you give yourself permission to write badly, boldly, quirky, chaotic, whatever. Your job is to show up and the rest takes care of itself.
Setting a timer for as little as 15 minutes is a great way to start. You’ll probably find it may take a little longer to get past the dribble of your mind into an arena of insight. Over time building yourself up to 30 to 45 minutes may prove to be your sweet spot. Play with it, keep an open mind, and approach the whole thing as an experiment. While writing let your hand go in a continuous flow. The idea is quantity over quality. Get it all down without worrying about what it all means. Freewriting is a powerful way to slip past your internal censor. They’ll be time to read and decipher it later.
Possible Benefits of a daily freewriting practice are:
Feel a greater sense of freedom and play enter your life
Being better prepared for the situations you encounter
Feel more relaxed from your daily release of mental energy
Yield a treasure trove of ideas
Be able to look back on your day-to-day experiences
Act out on the page not in your daily life
Develop a self-support system for challenges and aspirations
Develop the writing habit most days if not every day. If you miss a day just try not to miss 2 days in a row. If you do miss several days though don’t sweat it, merely recognize you stopped and gently recommit to writing once again. If your hand gets tired slow down or take a short rest. Never fret the blank page will always be there waiting to receive you between the lines.
During your writing sessions you may find yourself freezing up and stopping. That’s okay and is completely normal. The same goes for distractions. The rules are here to give the practice structure not be a straitjacket. The more you gently commit yourself to the practice the easier it becomes.
Keep in mind that this writing practice may stir up difficult emotions so proceed with kindness. Julia Cameron suggests not to read your writing for the first 9 weeks. Let it bubble up and subside each session allowing the experience to aerate your mind and help you breathe easier. I hesitate to tell you what to do with the space because ultimately it is yours to decide, but suffice it to say the possibilities are limitless. You can answer any questions you have, take on different perspectives, vent, dream, or whatever else catches fire as you go. You may even find that you begin the next great novel or feel propelled to start creating art. Use the freeing experience to move you and stir your creative juices.
For me personally freewriting has helped me gain a greater sense of clarity about my purpose and what I want for the future. It also helps me work out ideas for other writing projects. I like to use the space as my own cheerleader instilling myself with positive energy. Finally, it feels good knowing that I can show up every day whether I feel like it or not, and that momentum serves me in other areas.
Shout out to Gabriel Dias for his support and specifically for suggesting the site 750 words as a community and space to create a daily freewriting practice. I’ve been enjoying my time on there.