Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Grasshopper Thoughts, Vol. V, October 2011

I've mentored many a writer in my adult life, taught many adult education classes on creative writing, and lent a helping hand to countless new bloggers.  At some point, the question always arises of, "What do you do when you get writer's block?"

That's the age old nemesis, isn't it?  Writer's block, artist's block, musician's block....it isn't career specific to just writers.  We all hit moments where inspiration just refuses to flow.  It has been 29 days since I last posted here at Healing Morning and this is outside the norm for me.  While I am not of the blogging daily approach, I do tend to write at least once or twice a week.  I won't go into the reasons for my recent dry spell, but I will share that the answer I almost always offer to the question above is, "Just write.  Don't focus on whether it's good or bad...just sit down and start writing. The very act of being in writing 'motion' will often wake up your writing Muse."

Another favorite tool of mine is to Grasshopper.  If you follow me here at Healing Morning blog, then you're familiar with this concept.  Grasshopper Thoughts is a process of just allowing your mind to flit....or hop (like a grasshopper) in myriad directions with no logical focus.  I find it to be therapeutic to do this.  It can be as entertaining to write this way as it can be for people to read it, and it allows a glimpse into that writer's soul in a curious manner.  Little tidbits, little gems, little windows into who they are.

So, in the time honored tradition, I now commence Grasshoppering to encourage my own Muse to release her death grip on my normally prolific writing.


  • I'm a fan of the good, old fashioned Emery board to file my nails.  Yes, I know that all manner of new inventions exist for this, including metal nail files that are touted to be better for your nails.  They don't work for me.  Metal nail files take forever for me because I'm fortunate to have nice, healthy, strong nails.  Nope, give me a traditional coarse grit Emery board and I'm happy.  Besides, those metal nail files make my teeth hurt with the sound they make on my nails.
  • Some genius person took the Cool Whip concept and morphed it into chocolate Cool Whip - bless their hearts!  I'm not a big sweets eater and can go long stretches without eating ice cream, sometimes longer than a year.  It's just not a temptation to me.  Once in a blue moon, however, chocolate Cool Whip, still frozen is ideal.
  • I opened an old book the other day, and from its pages fell a perfectly pressed sprig of Lily of the Valley.  I lifted it to my nose and it still carries that beautiful fragrance.  I think I pressed that flower there when I was wee, and it remains to this day my favorite old fashioned flower.  It was a delicate, floral time capsule moment to my adult self from my very young self and I was assailed with lovely memories.
  • The last time I bought Crayons, they smelled different and I was devastated.  How could Crayola do this?!  Whose idea was it to tweak the formula?  No doubt it was done to save money, as that drives any corporation's bottom line, but it made me sad.  The aroma of Crayons is iconic, or it used to be.  It's still close to the original smell, but different.  These are the moments when I stubbornly dig my heels in against change.
  • I was driving my Mom somewhere recently, just out running errands, and I said something to make her laugh unexpectedly.  We glanced at one another and smiled, that silent "I love you for who you are and how I feel when we're together" communication.  I'm blessed.
  • Someday, someone is going to invent a way to prove that creative people are NOT airheads, dingbats or incapable of remembering things. We just think and process things differently, but we manage to get everything accomplished.  I'm serious - someday, someone will invent a way to quantify this fact. And THEN you'll all be sorry! ;-)  Just sayin.  *And if this way has already been invented, then I'm the first to cheerfully declare that I TOLD you so!  :)
I think that's plenty to get the writerly thoughts warmed up.  With luck, it won't be another 29 days before my next post.  For now, Grasshoppering has done the trick to shift the logjam loose a trifle.

14 comments:

  1. I guess i will now go and look at some of my old books and see what falls from it!
    Writer's block is when the emotions have not surfaced yet... they are just brewing within....
    Nice to see you back...

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  2. Savira, thanks so much! I had to kind of nudge myself w/ this one, but it felt good to get back to writing. I just visited your new blog and subscribed & followed all options - great space over there that you've created! :)

    - Dawn

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  3. I love the concept of "grasshoppering". I do something like that called "wild mind writing." It's something that Natalie Berg writes about and I love it, although it's a bit raw and I'm not certain I would share it without a bit of editing;)

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  4. Leah, it's a great exercise to clear the mind and kind of jolt the creative process. I never know what's going to come out when I sit down to grasshopper and that's part of the fun of it. My friend that I co-founded Authentic Blogger with called me "pleasantly disturbed" and that spawned his own version of grasshoppering, which I loved! Sometimes I find that I'm grasshoppering to a theme, but most of the time it's random stuff that comes pouring out. I like that it gives me a lighthearted, no pressure approach to writing where I don't have to come up with majorly profound thoughts. I'm happy you enjoyed it! :)

    - Dawn

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  5. I can't tell you how many times I have done what you refer to as "grasshoppering." I always have kept these little special tidbits for myself and never really thought about sharing them with other's. Keen idea Dawnie!
    By the way, I loved all of your g.h. thoughts today :). xoxo

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  6. Janie, I'm glad you enjoyed this edition of grasshoppering! This exercise always seems to help me break free from writing inertia. And it usually makes me laugh at least once in the process, which can never be underestimated. :)

    Love you, sweet girl.

    - Dawnie

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  7. You know I thought I was crazy when I opened crayons recently and thought they smelled different....Should have known ;-) I am crazy, but there is a sister out there that is just as crazy as me.

    My writer/artist thought for today: The way a Kitty smells when you nuzzle it is natural Prozac.

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  8. Beautiful post. I love the Lily of the Valley and smile with your Mom. I agree about the crayons - what is up with that?

    http://www.mariscamera.blogspot.com/

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  9. Tinker, you too on the crayons?! I am vindicated!!! LOL...I noticed it immediately and was so unhappy about the change. Some things just should never be meddled with, and childhood iconic scents fall into that category. Kitty Prozac - now there's a simple truth! Add the purr and we're approaching pure bliss! Love you, my darling sister.

    - Dawnie

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  10. Mari, it appears that I am not the only person who has noticed the difference in crayons. I am relieved to hear this, as I knew I wasn't imagining things! The Lily of the Valley and smile with my Mom were two of my most favorite experiences in the past two weeks. Those are the bright, shining moments that Life gifts us with. Thank you for visiting!

    - Dawn

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  11. Dawn, what a lovely, lovely post! I so enjoyed reading your Grasshopper thoughts, they brought a smile...as you mentioned, it provides a little window into the author's world. It's also been quite a few weeks since I last posted on my own little blog, but I can feel something stirring within. I especially loved your 'lily-of-the-valley' moment, and the special moment with your Mom...I am enjoying special moments with my Mom right now.

    Thank you for this beautiful moment in my life...visiting your blog is always so gently refreshing for my soul and spirit. Blessings and big hugs! xo

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  12. Bec, I always love it when you visit! I'm still in the midst of a lull with writing here at Healing Morning, but expect that to come to an end soon. I loved my Lily of the Valley moment too! It was such a sweet thing, finding that flower that I had pressed in that book as a child. The memories just flooded in from that time. I am now going to visit your blog in return, as I also enjoy what I find there on a regular basis. I see we're both awake in the wee hours of the morning today. Namaste', dear one.

    - Dawn

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  13. Hey Dawn, you snuck up on me with this one ;-)
    On writer’s block, yeah. Easy. Prime the pump by just writing! And sometimes, when you read and comment on someone else’s post, you oil the old wheels too.
    I love the smells and tastes in the post. The Lily of the Valley and the chocolate…

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  14. Debra, I've been out of commission for the past ten days or so with pneumonia, so I wasn't really able to capitalize on breaking through the inertia w/ this Grasshopper moment. I have written a few snippets into Draft format that will turn into full blown posts once I improve in health. It's always so good to see your face and read your thoughts here. I'll visit you in return when my brain fog lifts a bit!

    Much love to you,

    Dawn

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