I’m a recovering project-aholic. I take on more tasks than I can finish. There are a lot of factors to this. Here’s one of the big ones: Being busy is an excuse for not finishing what I’m working on. Maybe you can relate. When the going gets tough, part of me seeks out the path… Continue reading What stops you from finishing what you start?
Why the World Needs More Schlock, Not Less
“Ah, there’s too much garbage out there.” “So much bad writing! Art these days just doesn’t make any sense.” “That looks like something I could do.” When I hear people say these sorts of things, I can feel that they believe what they’re saying. And I know that they are creatively constipated. How do I… Continue reading Why the World Needs More Schlock, Not Less
Indulgence is Your Guru: Write to Free the Animal
We are all much more alike than we realize. We have the same basic range of human experience, we have the same kinds of wants and fears. Yes, everyone has a different spectrum where they spend their energy and time, but we are all equally capable of the same feelings and emotions. We want and… Continue reading Indulgence is Your Guru: Write to Free the Animal
A Trait to Embody: Enthusiasm [Applied Freewriting]
Mere Enthusiasm is the All in All! William Blake It’s only natural to feel unenthusiastic sometimes. Feelings often have something to show us, so it is important to notice what you are experiencing and to allow yourself to hear the wisdom on the other side of the emotion. When you don’t feel like writing, when… Continue reading A Trait to Embody: Enthusiasm [Applied Freewriting]
Everybody Does Freewriting Wrong
Freewriting is the direct path towards writing as good and as much as possible in as short of time as possible. It’s a writing practice that hones and refines a writer’s natural voice. So why aren’t more people doing it? Most people have been told that when freewriting gets hard, they’re supposed to force themselves… Continue reading Everybody Does Freewriting Wrong
Writing Against the Clock: How Long Should Your Freewriting Session Last?
Freewriting is a writing technique in which you write without stopping for a given duration. How long you choose to write for can really impact the quality of freewrite you end up with. Let’s look at a few example durations. How long should you write? 5 minutes: the quickie, the mind dump The five minute… Continue reading Writing Against the Clock: How Long Should Your Freewriting Session Last?
Why You Don’t Like To Write (And How Freewriting Helps)
People don’t enjoy writing because they have been taught wrong. They learned to write by placing undue pressure on themselves. They need to get it right! They need to know what they are planning to say before they start to write anything! They have no tolerance for uncertainty and looseness. How can you hope to… Continue reading Why You Don’t Like To Write (And How Freewriting Helps)
7 Ways Freewriting is Like an Acid Trip
Most people learn about freewriting in school. It’s taught as one of several methods of prewriting, stuff you do to generate ideas for a paper. Freewriting has found a home in many lesson plans amidst things like mind maps, outlines, and brainstorming. Take a trip back down memory lane to your early days of school.… Continue reading 7 Ways Freewriting is Like an Acid Trip
About Learning and Personal Growth at a Retreat
My intention for an optimal retreat or mentoring experience is to do everything I can to facilitate learning and personal growth. Rather than modeling the classroom, which would prioritize the fact that I’m teaching, I hope to bring about learning through introspection. An interesting note about the Latin root of the word ‘education’ (educere) is that it… Continue reading About Learning and Personal Growth at a Retreat