Some days my writing flows naturally and on others it takes patience and a huge dose of self-compassion. On those more challenging days, it helps to remind myself of one simple thing…
Words don’t like to be forced. If I try too hard they won’t appear.
So, I put the current task to one side, take a few deep breaths and try a different approach. This is generally when ‘free writing’ comes to my rescue. In a stream-of-consciousness style, I pour onto the page all the thoughts, anxieties and worries that are cluttering up my mind. Whatever words come into my head, they get written down. And once they have been released and expressed, I always feel a sense of relief. I can move on, play a quick creative writing game perhaps and then focus on the task at hand.
Just Write
Don’t push so hard,
says the poem.
Stop poking and prodding me,
squeezing me into tiny spaces,
twisting my words…
Let me be.
Take your time.
Let go and
just write.