Tuesday, November 20, 2012

writing down the bones

I've been reading a book my friend dave cave gave me. shaved paved craved.

Its called Writing Down the Bones, freeing the writer within by Natalie Goldberg. Its also about 2 inches by three inches and a little less then an inch thick, so perfect size to always just always be with you when you happen to have a free moment. 

I'm loving it so much. Its changing me. 

I would usually say something here about how I don't really consider myself a writer or that I don't really care to write a book. First of all, thats my inner critic talking and secondly, that is irrelevant. 

You write everyday. you write emails, tweets, to do lists. you have to write a letter of resignation and we should all be writing more postcards. you don't need to be a 'writer' to write. Its a beautiful thing, writing. 

Her book is so full of advice and is one of those experiences that you find what you need to hear in it. 

"Original details are very ordinary, except to the mind that see their extraordinariness. Its not that we need to go to the Hopis to see greatness; we need to view what we already have in a different way. It is very deep for the Hopis to have a snake dance, but it also is one of their festivals that has been performed every other year for their whole lives. Like any other dance, when it was over, they incited friends to their homes for dinner. If we see their lives and festivals as fantastic and our lives as ordinary, we come to writing with a sense of poverty. we must remember that everything is ordinary and extraordinary. It is our minds that are either open or closed."

"Another thing you should watch out for are questions. If you can write a question, you can answer it. When you are writing, if you write a question, that is fine. But immediately go to a deeper level inside yourself and answer it in the next line. ...Don't be afraid to answer the questions. You will find endless resources inside yourself. "

1 comment:

miss teacups said...

I saw that little book in a bowl in your room when I was doing my hair. Sounds like I should have picked it up and given a read through :) It's awesome finding books like this!

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