How to get at the good stuff? Cannot even think of a better word for stuff! Yes, I can look for a word using a thesaurus, which I probably will end up doing. But, for now, I’m very simply frustrated, for my mind has either been erased or is under lock and key. I’m reminded of what happens when I cannot recall a password and try time and time again to log on. After multiple tries, I’m locked out. No longer can I access a wealth of information at my fingertips. Locked out.
Writing 101 First Assignment
To get started, let’s loosen up. Let’s unlock the mind. Today, take twenty minutes to free write. And don’t think about what you’ll write. Just write.
Caveat: I must admit I edited what I wrote in the 20 minutes. Just cannot keep myself from rewriting…
Since I already started writing and making an image for this assignment before I had even started the assignment, I guess I cheated. I also thought about what I was going to write and how I was going to go about it. Once again, not the assignment. Basically I saw myself writing with interruptions. Interruptions because the dogs miss me, though they are sleeping on the floor right now. Interrupted expecting my son to ask for something, yet he now remains ensconced in the guest room playing Xbox. He asked both last night and this morning whether and when I’d move the TV into his room because my sister and her family are visiting us tonight and tomorrow. But, they won’t be here until well after dinner, so we have plenty of time.
I imagined that my writing would somehow reflect my hypomanic mind. My mind is racing, but my writing tends (for the most part) to be organized. One reason is that I rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. Not for this project. This is stream of consciousness writing (I guess). Actually, I do not recall the exact meaning of stream of consciousness writing. Sounds rather hoity toity and intellectual. This exercise and fingers flying discussing the mundane feels more like what the assignment calls free writing.
Okay, first interruption, quickly ignored. Poodle Coco nudged my left arm with his nose. He wanted to be pet. No pets right now. I’m FREE WRITING. I’m being quite writerly. He circles me like a great white shark circling its prey, and then settles for kibble.
This morning I took a break – an interruption after my initial writing and before I copied and pasted the actual writing assignment up above. During that break I went to my local Starbucks to meet up with a fellow NAMI volunteer, mental health advocate and mental health provider. Starbucks was crowded and loud, so I invited her over to my house. As it’s messy and filthy, I’m actually proud of myself. Usually I’m too ashamed to have company over.
My timer just went off. 20 minutes are up.
Leave a Reply