Movember is coming and I am going to participate in it again. The idea behind it is to grow a moustache to help raise awareness for mens’ health issues like prostate and testicular cancer.
I know, it is a beard and not a ‘stache in the photo above. What can I say, I am a wild man who makes his own rules and looks ridiculous with a ‘stache.
There Is a Rhythm to Writing
There is a rhythm to writing but it is not one that I have to search for often. It is a combination of talent, ability and hours of practice. When the words are flowing fast and furious from my fingertips there is a feeling of fulfillment.
It is the knowledge that this is what I am supposed to be doing. These words you read, the stories I tell and the experiences we share are all a part of it.
It is what is supposed to happen.
The moments when I am happiest are often tied into this. It feels a lot like the high I get from exercising. My adrenaline flows and I know that I am feeding my heart, soothing my soul and singing a song that others can feel.
You Can Force It
Some people suggest you shouldn’t force yourself to write. They say if you are not feeling it to walk away and ignore it. They are wrong. They are crippling you. They are hurting you because they are teaching you to stop finding ways to work through the hard spots.
I suppose if you aren’t a professional writer it doesn’t have the same impact, but it still bothers me. It bothers me because it is like you telling your boss you can’t work because you aren’t feeling it.
That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in sick, vacation or personal days because I do. I also believe that sometimes writing is a grind and you need to suck it up and do it.
When my children say they don’t feel like doing their homework I smile and give encourage them to keep going.
This isn’t a problem. It is a challenge and you overcome challenges by taking them on and not by running away.
Find Your Rhythm
You need to find your rhythm and your happy place. If you look at the picture above you can see I don’t have a dancer’s body. I am built like a big block.
My inclination is to go through, tear apart, dismantle and or destroy. That is not always the smart way, but it is my way and it works for me.
Still, I have made a point to learn other methods of making it happen and so should you.
We’re still talking about rhythm. We’re still talking about finding a way to make the words flow from finger to keyboard to screen.
It is a dance and you have to learn to lead.
Pictures, Music, Mood
Pictures are worth a thousand words. If you are among the 17 long time readers you know it took a long time for me to begin to become consistent about including pictures in my posts.
I changed my approach because I noticed that when I included a visual element in my posts readers hung out longer. I also noticed that sometimes they helped inspire me and or motivate me.
Music has always been a part of the post structure. Sometimes the songs are designed to try and set a mood for you and sometimes it is just setting the tempo and tone for me to write by.
I might have trouble finding rhythm with my feet but it is not a problem for my fingers and it shouldn’t be for you either.
All you need to do is take the time to do a little dance and find your own rhythm.
Hi Jack
I tend to write in blocks because there’s not so much free time during the day. That isn’t always ideal as I end up re-reading and re-doing stuff.
I intend on the next post I write to be more organised and for me not to have any distractions. My wife isn’t around on 4 nights of the week so that is where I’ll start, when the kids are in bed.
Maybe then it won’t be such an onerous task! Once I get into writing it flows, it’s just getting to that point that can be the problem. You’re right though, I need to work through that and get moving.
Hi Tim,
I try to do the same as you. I work from a remote office out of my house so my children are around for large parts of my work day. Sometimes that is great and sometimes it is really hard to get things done.
There are lots of times where trying to find that flow is tough.
This reminds me of the summer, when I had a beard. It wasn’t as big as yours, but it was still a beard. It’s awesome that you’re participating. This is the first time I’ve heard of Movember.
I have forced myself to write many times, and to get inspiration I have been looking at both pictures and I’ve listened to music. Sometimes I can just write without any type of inspiration, the words are just there and it comes naturally. Right now, I am listening to Muse (the latest album) and that’s my inspiration to get through the day. I’m still not a “real” writer, many times I feel that it’s hard to write.
Hi Jens,
At the moment I am mostly clean shaven, but I am looking forward to letting the beard go wild. It is kind of fun. Do you spend most of your time clean shaven?
I like that Muse album and I would argue that being a real writer requires writing and not an absence of struggle to do so.
I have found over time there are times of the day and week I feel more inspirational than others. If ‘life’ gets in the way and I have to find another time to write, sometimes I hit that wall and have to dig a little deeper to come up with something.
I also listened to http://www.jasonkonopinski.com/2012/10/04/riffing-on-writing-episode-10-danny-brown/ and Danny talks about always looking forward and forcing yourself to grow and it somewhat resonated with me, because I feel I should do a better job of challenging myself with my writing.
You do a good job of it and always pushing the envelop; I think I want to be like you when I grow up………
Hi Bill,
Blogs and bloggers that don’t evolve die. Boredom sets in for you or for the readers and you just don’t have the same drive to write or visit.
Figure out what you want to focus on and push there. You have all the tools and ability.
Agreed. Doing something, anything, gets the juices flowing. Don’t move and the sludge can weigh you down. There’s really no mystery to motivation. I’m rarely motivated until I start doing something, whether it be writing, researching, dancing, or teaching. Maybe understanding the patterns comes with age and experience?
Hi Betsy,
The fight against inertia can be brutal, but once you get some movement- well good things come from that.