There is a brief period between sleeping and waking. In that time, ideas may come, random thoughts about what my brain has been mulling overnight, often without my knowledge or consent, may appear unbidden from the fog of unconsciousness. The brain works on what it chooses, when it chooses. Maybe that’s “the stuff dreams are made of,” or maybe “we are such stuff” – either way, waking from the last dream of the morning can bring inspiration – so, I try to pay attention.
Another time I pay attention is when doing something repetitive, such as mowing the lawn or riding a bicycle – these happen to work well for me. Other people like running, but I only do that when being chased or hurrying to the car in the rain, so this activity is unlikely to spark my thoughts. Woodworking also brings me moments of clarity, but mainly during the times immediately after I finish a step in the process.
I’m not sure why, but apparently focusing on a task might free the more creative parts of the brain from worry or stress long enough to catch a glimpse of something insightful. At these moments, a little turn of phrase, an idea to fix a plot line, or a more lucid explanation might emerge. Of course, just as often, I suddenly remember to fix a faucet, change a light bulb, or take care of something else I’ve been meaning to do for a couple of weeks. Nevertheless, even when an essay or a story is well underway, I have been compelled to make a few changes I thought about only because I was mowing that day.
So, if you’re reading this and wondering what you can do about “writer’s block,” first, stop reading drivel like this. Next, go forth and do something that does not require too much thought. Then, pay attention to the little ideas that come unbidden from your mind silently running in the background. If your ideas are good, you will remember them long enough to write them down later. If not, at least you got the lawn done, and that’s something.
One more thing. If you are married, or in a “relationship,” you can get a lot done while you’re secretly working on a writing project. This will make your partner happy. I thought about most of this while my wife and I rode our bicycles this morning. She was happy we rode together. And I’m happy to finish this post.
MurrayWorks 