Pam Bustin
creator, editor, story tender
Shake and Bake 31: The WILD Song Edition
I’m a gal, after London’s heart, who would “rather sing one wild song…” But man… it can be exhausting, eh?
I’d rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet. ~ Jack London
I’m with ya, Jack. I’m still with ya. A life LIVED and a tale TOLD.
That said…
It’s been quite a week for me and the current song working it’s way out. A twisty-curvy topsy-turvy roller coaster. One day I LOVE it… the next day I HATE it. All par for the course…of course of course.
I know this, but when the dark days come – that punch in the gut can still take me down. The doubt. The creeping despair. Ergh.
So… I wrote this to myself… to remind me of some ways around/through/past the pain… And I pass it on to anyone who is feeling a bit… STUCK… on something this week.
When you get stuck …
Don’t just STOP… And for GAWDsakes don’t just sit there staring at the thing. Do a wild rush around the edges… scrawl something by hand…. set the timer for 5 or 10 mad minutes and run directly AT the bugger…or write about owls or your feet or something scary something sweet some THING for the 5or10…. move the hand…. move the hand…
The aim is to refute the stuckage. You are not stuck, but you may need to create a space for the words to come through so… play a little. Loosen up.
Move the hand. Move the BODY. Take a breathe.
Do four minutes of bamboo breathing and then another mad rush.
Do a Down Dog and hold it for 4 or 8 or 12 breaths and then another mad rush.
Whatever it takes. Just don’t STOP and walk away with that horror in your mouth. Get … just past it…
This container of hours is working for you and your sanity. The dreads are held at bay by the magic container. And this… thing… this thing is growing. And there is fierce beauty in it.
Once your “hours” are up… then you can really, physically, GET AWAY FROM IT!
But … and here you need to listen to me….
When you are looking to open to something … remember to “Get away from it” – BY YOURSELF. Take a walk or a swim or a paddle, work in the garden, go to sleep, bake bread, draw, listen to music, meditate, exercise…. You are free… but you are working sideways…. So – and this is important – don’t seek out others… Don’t read yet, or listen to a book, or watch a movie. I’m not sure why music is different… but it is. Don’t make telephone calls or go on facebook or to the ABE forum or seek out COMPANY.
Don’t stuff yourself with the words of others…. stay silent and alone for a while longer.
You don’t have to “think about” the work. In fact, it works best when you don’t directly think about. When you occupy yourself with something else… and let things rise up on their own. It is about drifting…not tugging…not digging… It is about allowing.
Because the words are inside of you. Open a space for them, create an opening. Be patient. The words will come.
I hope your creativity is bursting forth this week. But if you hit a bump… I send solace… an a wave from this muddy Northern shore. Keep going.
The Quick Chicken (The Doings that help me with the Being):
- Write: 6/7
- Move: 77
- Matt/Sit: 3/7
- Music: 3/7
THIS WEEK’S EXPERIMENT:
… to play with this idea of one thing at a time
The Result:
Ahhhh…. fantastic!
Felt far less… “rushed” and yet… it all got done. It’s a timebendy miracle!
THE GNARBLY BITS of Mystery:
- – Tooth became… bothersome again… sigh. But has already begun to fade into neutral so… hope holding…
- – that dark dark and down day on the book… just looking at it and going… “what the hell IS that?” and wanting to pitch it all and stop and go cry in the corner or run off and become a psychotherapist or learn to make shoes or do ANYTHING but write. Of course, dear hearts, as noted above… this is par for the course – so … don’t worry too much about it. I won’t really stop. I just… dream of it sometimes.
- – the money worries creep creep creeping in.
THE TASTY BITS:
- + two simply soaring days on the book a new wind, inspiration, amazement! See… I told you all is well. It is just a mad UP and DOWN period methinks.
- + the weather the weather the weather – the cold finally breaking and the sun on my skin and … ahhhhhhhhh…
- + more Mud
- + walks this week with the Raggedy Man… almost every day. So good to walk and watch the world change before our eyes.
- + planning for my trip trip trip to see friends and family and spend some time on retreat with my fierce and lovely Rough Writers at St. Peter’s Abbey. Oh man… the lists I am making of what to take… what to pick up while I am there… and mostly mostly … anticipating coffee talks and walks and pints hoisted with pals. And yes… three full days of writing bliss in the company of the Roughties. Wheeeee!
- + some outings… a BINGO night at Brunswick House and a TEA at the United Church.
- + an extra huge raft of laundry done…. bringing in the FRESH!
- + starting to plan and dream around the great trailer/studio reno… even started a pinterest account to gather inspirations (here)… fun fun fun.
The Thing that needs Baking In MOST:
You know how to do this. Keep on. Just keep on.
I mean this for the book – and life as well. It’s a simple truth. But the simple ones are so often the ones that slip out of our hands, aren’t they? Or we forget them somehow.
NEXT WEEK’S Playful EXPERIMENT:
It will be a week of… tidying, sorting, clearing and packing…in and amongst the writing, of course. And then I will be on the road So… hmm… I would like something to play with…for the next TWO weeks.
In keeping with the One Think at a Time…. I would like to invoke a SEEMINGLY SUPER SIMPLE intention for the next few weeks.
Which is…
Enjoy each moment…pay good attention.
There are plans for dinners out this week, enjoy them.
Enjoy clearing spaces and the shiftings to let Spring into the Shaky Shack.
And… Enjoy the trip and all that it holds. The faces of friends. The land. The sound of prayers rising up.
Let there be rest. Let there be energy.
Let there be strength enough and time enough and will enough
and always…
joy and gratitude overflowing.
For all of us.
May your week be Full of Lively Shoots and Buds.
Thanks so much for popping by. I’ll close out with some pics of the BAY emerging into Spring. It’s my first attempt at inserting a SLIDESHOW – hope it works. I think you just click on the photo below and you will see all 14 pics….
go easy, friends
~p
In homage to Havi’s Friday Chickens over on the The Fluent Self — This is the place I review my week – in an attempt to track some things – like progress on my novel and… living intentionally. I shake out my week and lay it out. Let the hard burn off and the good sink in. Call it an experiment in paying attention.
Comments are cherished here. Discussion is adored. If you’d rather talk in private – drop me a line.
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