Lydia

I’ve had my poor little donkey tail for almost a year and it WAS doing really, really well. It looked good and was sprouting out new growth. But then I moved to a new office and the donkey tail is looking very sad. I had to cut off a lot of dead parts of my poor plant and then decided to bring it home to care for. I’m hoping a little TLC here at home will keep it alive. Fingers crossed!

From my blog (ohmygodgirl.blogspot.com):

I’ve mentioned a few times that I am a daily writer and a lot of people like to ask me about this habit. So…I thought I’d do a little entry to tell you about my philosophy behind my writing, my tools, and all sorts of other things that are boring to some, fascinating to others.

GOAL
When I was in high school I wrote almost every day of my life. I had a journal…I wrote down my deepest, darkest thoughts…I read poetry…I was THAT girl, the stereotypical Gothy geek who had a lot on her mind. (Hello? My name IS Lydia, after all…I had to live up to Beetlejuice standards!). I continued journaling in college, especially when I was in London, but somehow got away from my daily writing habit when real life came calling. I was far too busy figuring out life as a grown up…life with a 9 to 5 job, bills to pay, and not enough time to devote to my writing.

Now that I’m 32, I figure I’m not getting any younger, and I’ve learned that I need to make things happen rather than waiting for them to happen. I want to quit my job and make a real salary from being creative…by writing. So THAT’s my goal. And now that I have it out in the open, it’s up to me to make that goal a reality.

PHILOSOPHY
Writing well is a skill. Yes, there is some degree of art and magic to it, but like any other skill, it requires constant honing. In my daily writing, I free myself from dealing with perfect grammar, perfect spelling, or writing anything of substance. I just write. Four pages, handwritten, whatever is on my mind, very stream of conscious. Sure, sometimes I’ll write a short story or tackle a creative writing exercise, but usually I just write about whatever pops up in my mind. In some respect, my daily writing is an active form of meditation. It gives me valuable time (whether it be 10 minutes or a few hours) devoted only to one thing: getting pages filled with words. My words. I don’t have an audience in mind for these words and I have no standards for my writing. That freedom is essential…it’s also terrifying.

TOOLS
I am not rigid in my demand for daily writing. If I am too tired to write one day, I take the day off. My ultimate goal is to fill one spiral bound notebook each month. I don’t use anything fancy—I just have a pack of cheap notebooks and pull one off at the start of the month to fill it.

Since I am writing (not typing), my pen choice is extremely important. Back in February, my fabulous husband gave me a Retro 51 fountain pen that I have used every day since. It’s an ink hog—I must have gone through about a half dozen boxes of ink cartridges already! I love pens, and when I find one to die for, it inspires me to write.

I’ve also recently begun a new goal of filling a moleskine journal with writing and drawings and doodles. This makes me really think—not just about words, but about colors, shapes, and forms, and again…since I don’t have any standards for my work, I have an incredible amount of freedom. Plus holding a moleskine in my hands just feels good. I love those little black journals!

RESOURCES
This is going to be a very abbreviated, very incomplete list of books that have helped me with my daily writing habit:

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: I’m a non-believer, so I have a hard time with some aspects of this book. Plus Cameron is a little preachy, but overall it has some useful nuggets.
• Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg: This is much more realistic than Cameron’s classic and it’s where I got the idea of a notebook a month. There are plenty of ideas in this book that can be used for a daily write. I highly recommend it.
• Naming the World by Bret Anthony Johnston (editor): This contains all sorts of writing exercises suggested by some well established writers. I find it fun to tackle these in my daily write from time to time.
• On Writing by Stephen King. Say what you want about Mr. King, but he’s been extraordinarily successful and he knows how to tell a story. I dare any wannabe writer to read On Writing and not feel inspired. Hell, you don’t have to even give a damn about writing…this tome will teach you plenty about life as well.

I’m not going to list out all the magazines, literary journals, and resource books I use at this time. Why not? My allergies are killing me and I have to cook dinner!

So there you go: I’m a nerd, but I’m totally okay with that. My daily writing habit is not one I would give up, and I am so relieved to be back at it. It feels good to write…even to write badly!...and to explore different worlds in my mind. Writing is basically daydreaming, though less of a waste of time. Daily writing focuses me, lets me get out all my negativity, and leaves me open to all sorts of things I would never have explored if it weren’t for my habit. If you’re anything like me, you’ll benefit from this habit and I encourage you to try it out for yourself. What do you have to lose?

Here’s my list of the 40 things I want to do before I turn 40:

1. Write a book
 2. Remain crafty
 3. Buy a piece of art every year
 4. See the Ring Cycle or at least go to the opera again
 5. See the top 100 movies
 6. Be more politically active
 7. Complete the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle on a regular basis
 8. Learn a new language or at least relearn French
 9. Put together a piece of IKEA furniture without help
10. Take at least one class a year
11. Have a decent photo done of me and my hubby
12. Spend as much time as possible with my family
13. Learn to appreciate Thanksgiving
14. Have dinner at Canlis
15. Have lunch from Salumi
16. Have dinner in the Space Needle
17. Organize all my recipes and my important family recipes
18. Make my own pasta
19. Eat broccoli without feeling the need to vomit
20. Get in better shape
21. Get on track with all my medical stuff
22. Go on vacation alone
23. Go to a movie alone
24. Learn to meditate and do it regularly
25. Volunteer
26. Open an IRA
27. Make a decent will
28. Read the Pulitzer Prize winning book from each year
29. Read some major works of religious importance from several different religions
30. Be a Silvertips season ticket holder
31. Go to an NHL game
32. Find my personal style
33. Get a right-hand ring
34. Own a pair of killer designer heels
35. Get a tattoo
36. Visit one new place every year
37. Visit Mount Rainier
38. Go back to London
39. Learn to love my job…or quit!
40. Have a killer 40th Birthday celebration