Dear cherished writers, fellow word wranglers on the journey,

What a wild moment to be alive! Never before have I felt the world so off kilter, so curious and perilous at once. In a time of pandemic and foul politics it is hard to remember that art matters; to believe that journaling, writing poetry, stories, growing our novels, are necessary endeavors. I know that some of you have been stunned into silence or pestered by doubt before that blank page. “Maybe I should just be making masks?”

Now is a time to be gentle with yourself. Be realistic with your expectations. Titrate your exposure to the news—unplug the global speakers’ corner of doomsayers and panic peddlers who misuse language to inflame, anger, and unsettle. Now is not the moment to hold your feet to the fire of your ambition.

Instead, think of this as a time to deepen your practice, to court your muse. Remember that writing is our practice. Embrace it. Make a date each day to show up. Set a realistic goal. 2 hours, or 30 minutes. Or start with 10 minutes if that feels most doable. Choose a time when your muse is most inclined to join you. Clear a space. Claim it within the world of your “shelter”, its partners, amid your on-line obligations. (Sound canceling headphones are your friend right now.)

Sit. Close your eyes. Settle. Breathe before greeting the blank page. Begin with ten slow deep breaths: inhale for 3 or 4 counts, pause, exhale 1…2…3…4…, pause, repeat ten times. Notice all that your body is feeling. Give thanks to be alive.

Write with pen and paper. Give free rein to the right side of your brain, your unconscious, your creative sparkler. Write fast and loose, be wild with your words, keep the pen moving, don’t worry about making sense, don’t wait for “better thoughts.”

Let it rip!

Many of you have heard me say: what doesn’t kill us gives us material. And this moment, this new normal, is certainly exploding with material.

You might begin writing with:
What I want to say…
The first time I ever…
It all started with…
The thing that’s changed the most…

If words resist, go outside, startle yourself with beauty, put language to all that you hear, see, taste, the colors and life that swirl around. Wrestle words from the beauty around you—a revolutionary act. What is the quality of the light? How does the wind stir the world? Gather your words, cultivate your impressions, capture these moments. Keep them for life.

If all else fails, begin with a rant!
And most of all, be well.