When I touched my pen to paper this morning, I half expected the ink to clot or sludge. I wondered if I’d have to cajole its steady flow with words of apology for my neglect. But as soon as it touched the page, the ink flowed, ready to record my thoughts. It was a visible reminder that I was the one who had hesitated in the relationship–the one who didn’t show up.
Sarah Orne Jewett wrote, “You must find your own quiet center of life, and write from that.” I find ideas in so many places–in a whirling swirl of activity, in a quiet morning walk, in idle conversations with students or strangers, in interactions with family and friends, and in the flutters, squawks and trills from the bird feeders. But to write, I need first to make and take time and then to sit down, breathe, and arrive at that quiet place within myself. Then, as I write, I can begin to make sense of my thoughts and feelings, and above all, try to figure out what matters. What’s the heart of it all? Inevitably, I feel better after I’ve spent time writing. In the hurly burly tumult of school days it’s difficult to carve out that sacred writing time in the morning, to make it a priority. This morning when the ink flowed and my thoughts wandered and then coalesced, I resolved to do better.
Nix the comfort zone 
Your words reminded me of a podcast I listened to this morning by Jeff Goins about why we should write/blog every day, 365 days a year. He said that as we come to the page, even when we feel we have nothing to say, our well of inspiration will be refilled and our words will flow for the better. Good for you for making time today!
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Thanks for stopping by, Jennifer. I’ll have to check out that podcast! So true!
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I struggle to write daily. I do alright for a while, then I go for long stretches without daily writing. Sigh. I wish I could write in my car. I have great ideas there.
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I applaud you–the key is to keep showing up. Even after a dry spell. I am a complete failure at morning pages, but I can do 10 pm pages!
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Larks and owls, as my grandmother used to say. 🙂
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yes, yes, yes. I am glad you got back to your writing this morning. Yes, it is about showing up, and it can be so hard to show up. I’m also much better at evening pages. Let’s all try to keep at it. I will also look for that podcast and see what tips Goins has for blogging every day.
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That showing up piece is pretty critical! 🙂 It always feels like I’m robbing Peter to pay Paul–taking that extra15 minutes for writing in the morning can really resonate through my day–in both positive and negative ways.
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I love reading about morning pages, something I’ve never done. Your post gives me the hope that if I showed up every day, something would come. Saving this quote from your post: “But to write, I need first to make and take time and then to sit down, breathe, and arrive at that quiet place within myself. “
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Somehow that’s a piece I have to relearn over and over again, Ramona. I’d love to hear if you try morning pages and how it works out for you. I’ve adjusted for right now to a time limit instead of a page limit, in deference to the insanity of the school year.
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I like your idea that writing is your sacred time to reflect and have peace. Love this!
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts about writing. I’m really trying to balance it all and just keep up lately. I’ll find my groove again with my morning pages and my blogging.
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Balance? What’s that!? lol Perhaps we’ll bump into each other while we’re out searching for that elusive groove!
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[…] This week I’ve been thinking and writing about the importance of just showing up to write (here) and then resolving to do better. In this midst of these thoughts, I happened across this poem by […]
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