contemplative writing part 1

 

One of the interview questions had asked what writing project I would want to work on if I was to start one this semester. I am already working at least 3 projects. They are not explicitly contemplative, but there are contemplative elements to them, and I think they could be a lot more contemplative in nature if I wanted them to be. The first thing that occurred to me that would make my writing contemplative is if I had some focused time for silence in my process. Silence is what really made my writing contemplative, as I remember. Libby had said she lets what float up, float up. That is a good way to describe what contemplative writing is for me.

Most of the time my mind is either filled with daily thoughts or I have something on like a podcast or some media that inadvertently fills my mind and makes contemplative thoughts hard to come by. When I lie in bed at night before I sleep or sometimes in the middle of the night, original thoughts come to me. Important ponderings. Things that wouldn’t otherwise have occurred to me. Deep within myself there is a narrative, a story I am trying to unfurl, a riddle I am trying to crack. When I am lying in bed before I sleep especially is a time of contemplation. But if I turn off the car radio, turn off my show, or make intentional time for thinking and silence, I can e

One of the interview questions had asked what writing project I would want to work on if I was to start one this semester. I am already working at least 3 projects. They are not explicitly contemplative, but there are contemplative elements to them, and I think they could be a lot more contemplative in nature if I wanted them to be. The first thing that occurred to me that would make my writing contemplative is if I had some focused time for silence in my process. Silence is what really made my writing contemplative, as I remember. Libby had said she lets what float up, float up. That is a good way to describe what contemplative writing is for me.

Most of the time my mind is either filled with daily thoughts or I have something on like a podcast or some media that inadvertently fills my mind and makes contemplative thoughts hard to come by. When I lie in bed at night before I sleep or sometimes in the middle of the night, original thoughts come to me. Important ponderings. Things that wouldn’t otherwise have occurred to me. Deep within myself there is a narrative, a story I am trying to unfurl, a riddle I am trying to crack. When I am lying in bed before I sleep especially is a time of contemplation. But if I turn off the car radio, turn off my show, or make intentional time for thinking and silence, I can experience contemplation in my daily life.

I learned in the book Atomic Habits that there is something called habit stacking, which refers to when you add a new habit by looking at your daily routine and think about a good time something might be added to it. For example, when I write this it is the first thing in the morning. I could add a time of silent contemplation when I first wake up before I walk my dog. That actually might be a good time to add a time slot for contemplative writing into my life.

So if I was to start a new project it might not be a project per say, just a time of day for contemplative writing.

xperience contemplation in my daily life.

I learned in the book Atomic Habits that there is something called habit stacking, which refers to when you add a new habit by looking at your daily routine and think about a good time something might be added to it. For example, when I write this it is the first thing in the morning. I could add a time of silent contemplation when I first wake up before I walk my dog. That actually might be a good time to add a time slot for contemplative writing into my life.

So if I was to start a new project it might not be a project per say, just a time of day for contemplative writing.