Mindfulness + Writing | Lesson No. 2: Outside World as Writing Prompt

*if you look around, you’ll be amazed at what you see.  There are muses everywhere.

Welcome back!

Last week we looked into the body and breath for inspiration and deep paying attention.  Out of this deep paying attention (practiced over and over again) we can create from a centered interesting place.

This week we will look outward at the world around us.

Remember that body scan we did?  This is about a world scan.  Really taking in what’s around us.  I feel this especially is important to consider in our day and age when in any settling 90% of the people seem to be plugged not into their surroundings, but their iPhones!  (we’ll talk about how to use our phones to plug into the actual world around us, vs. the virtual, later on)

It’s important to remember the tools we try in this workshop are presented as things to try….but then continue trying.  If something resonates with you, work with it over time, as a practice.  If you fall out of your practice, just hop back in when you’re ready.  In mindfulness and creating, it’s about PRACTICE not PERFECT.

(As yoga teacher and writer Sharon Gannon says:  “Through repetition the magic arises.”)

“…poetry is paying attention to life when all the world seems asleep to its beauties and truths…”

-John Geddes (and all writing! not just poetry)

“Pay attention. Be astonished. And tell about it. We’re soaked in distractions. The world didn’t have to be beautiful. We can and should think about that beauty and be grateful.”

-Mary Oliver

 

Watch this video by poet CA Conrad.  He’s been video-ing his surroundings, as poem prompts.  This is a great place to begin our exploration.

Notice:  were you able to simply watch?  Or where you thinking “why am I watching this?”  and analyzing the whole time?  No judgement either way, just interesting to see. More of his work.

Reading Assignments

Writing Assignment

Let’s try CA’s (Soma)tic meditation writing instruction, with the above film:

Watch the film above again.

Take notes as quickly as you can for 15 minutes after viewing.

Type all your notes into one document and print it out.

For the week, carry it wherever you go and use a highlighter pen to find the words to shape your poem.

Send the poem my way!

Optional Writing Assignment

Use your iPhone for the week (or any camera you have) to take photos of interesting things around you.  The idea is that by photographing, we can begin to train our minds to really notice and take in our surroundings.

At the end of the week, use one of the photos you’ve taken in your own environment as a writing prompt for a story, poem or essay (I can help you shape it later)

Buy or borrow a fashion magazine.  Find a photo that strikes you, and use the image as a writing prompt for a story, poem or essay.  In fashion, these spreads are called “stories” anyway, so it’s great to use them as visual inspiration for new written work!

Discussion Questions:

Are there certain places that are YOUR places?

Tell me about your environment.  What do you find inspirational, where you are, right now?

 

Sarah Herrington’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Writer’s Digest and she was named a Poet to Watch by Oprah Magazine. She is the author of a collection of poetry, Always Moving (Bowery Books, 2011) and several nonfiction books, including Om Schooled (Addriya Press, 2012), and Essential Yoga (Fair Winds Press, 2013). In addition to writing, she is an advocate for mindfulness and creativity and is the founder and lead facilitator of OM Schooled Teacher Trainings. Sarah is a graduate of New York University’s English and Creative Writing programs and holds an MFA in Creative Writing through Lesley University.  She is a grateful member of the Bowery Poetry Club community and has worked for Gotham Writers’ Workshop and Girls Write Now. She divides her time between New York and California.

Mindfulness + Writing | Lesson No. 1: The Art of Paying Attention

Welcome to the Mindfulness + Writing lessons! I hope these lessons will inspire some great writing not only in the present moment, but arm you with tools and techniques for creating art (and, really, living) for the future.

So What is Mindfulness?

The textbook definition is:

mind·ful·ness:
noun
  1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
  2. a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

But, like all things, I encourage you to investigate this question as our weeks go on and find a definition for yourself!

For me, mindfulness can mean: the art of paying attention.

I’ve studied both Buddhist meditation (techniques and practices from which “mindfulness” largely arose) and yoga.  Both practices have helped me get to know myself, relieved anxiety and…..(surprise!)….helped me get into a more creative state.  Mindfulness, for me, has helped me both feel more inspired and find more tools of stamina to see works through to completion.  These techniques have also helped me get in touch with my subconscious on a regular basis (whee) so I can create from there and edit from the more conscious mind.

I look forward to supporting you and guiding you as you check in with self, explore this path and see if it helps your work, too! I think it will.

 

Laying the Foundation

Jon Kabat-Zinn is known as a foundational mindfulness teacher in the Western world.  You can actually study with him by checking out the video below.  This video is a guided meditation/deep paying attention/body scan technique (FYI, you can do this lying down OR sitting up in a chair 🙂

Key to this video….see if you can STICK with it.  It’s hard to pay attention!  But it’s a practice and a muscle we can build.

 

Reading Assignment | Mindfulness + Creativity 101

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/10/05/how-mindfulness-can-help-your-creativity/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bianca-rothschild/the-science-of-how-medita_b_5579901.html

Discussion Assignment

What does it mean to you to “pay attention?”  What are the challenges?

Writing Assignment | Breath in, Breath out, WRITE!

After listening to and going through the youtube video above, move to the pen or computer.

See if you can WRITE the story of your body.  A lot of mindfulness techniques drop us into the body and breath to help us find the present moment (and to move out of THOUGHTS and into FEELINGS…..and how great to write from feelings)  The breath is always in the present moment, the body is always with us.

Pick one body part that you feel has a story.  Maybe it’s a scar, your knees, your back, your hair….anything.  See if you can sit for a moment and breath (inhale/exhale) and “listen” to the story of this part of your body.  Listening deeply is one of the gifts of the mindfulness practice that so helps in creativity, too.

Write out the story of that body part, in any format you wish for this week.  It can be a poem, article, fictionalized story, but just try to stay true to what you hear, in honesty.

Sarah Herrington’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Writer’s Digest and she was named a Poet to Watch by Oprah Magazine. She is the author of a collection of poetry, Always Moving (Bowery Books, 2011) and several nonfiction books, including Om Schooled (Addriya Press, 2012), and Essential Yoga (Fair Winds Press, 2013). In addition to writing, she is an advocate for mindfulness and creativity and is the founder and lead facilitator of OM Schooled Teacher Trainings. Sarah is a graduate of New York University’s English and Creative Writing programs and holds an MFA in Creative Writing through Lesley University.  She is a grateful member of the Bowery Poetry Club community and has worked for Gotham Writers’ Workshop and Girls Write Now. She divides her time between New York and California.