XX. Something for you to try out

XX. Something for you to try out

                So: last time I promised to give you a little exercise to try, and I promised that trying it would be well worth the effort.

                Before I do that, however, I want to tell you that if you’ve already decided that you’re not interested, you can go do something else. The next entry will be along in a few days. Just remember Entry # 20 in case some day you change your mind and want to go back and find out what it is. The bridge will still be waiting for you. Just like is says in the Rule:

Rule # 133: Sometimes we decide not to cross a particular bridge but the bridge just stays there, waiting until the day we change our minds. Not all bridges do this, however, so be careful.

Anyway, on to the exercise:

Take out a journal-type notebook or, if you don’t have one, take three sheets of paper—ruled, if possible. Then commit yourself to filling those three pages with writing. You can write about anything you want. Just jot down anything at all that comes into your head. Don’t censor yourself because no one is ever going to read what you write. And keep this in mind: there is no wrong way to do it. In fact, there is only one rule at all: Keep the Pen(cil) moving. Don’t stop and think. Just keep writing. If, along the way, you think to yourself “I don’t have anything to say,” just write that down, and then keep listening to the tape that’s running in your head, and let what’s in your head flow unto the page. Don’t forget that there’s only one rule: Keep the pen moving.

When you begin, you might doubt you’ll be able to fill those three pages with writing. The Blank Page can be threatening. We never know what bridge is going show itself, and even when it does and we start to cross, sometimes the fog rolls in and we can’t even see more than one or two steps ahead. Don’t worry: it’s okay. In fact, it’s a good experience to have. In fact, it’s an Important Experience  to have.

Think of it this way: how many times in your life have you been walking through the woods in the dark or crossing a bridge (metaphorically, of course), not know what is ahead of you, even if you’re walking with a flashlight. You take a step and the next step appears in front of you. One more step, and another appears. Step by step by step.

It’s nice to know sometimes that we are being led. It’s nice to know that we will be lead. (It’s good to stop and wonder every once in a while who it is that’s doing the leading?)

Think of Columbus crossing the ocean. Think of an inventor fiddling around but now knowing what he’s going to end up with. Think of a writer being led through a poem, or novel. Think of a composer developing a symphony. Except for those very few times when we have an explosion of insight and the finished product appears in front of us (Mozart used to say that often happened to him), most of the time our process is more like the process of filling three blank pages in a journal.

Sometimes, when I’m writing an entry, or even editing one, I have no idea where I’m going to end up. But something always comes. (Of course it does; otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this). And I can tell you right now that when I began working on this entry I had no idea I would going in this direction. In fact, sometimes I wonder if it’s really me who’s writing the blog or whether I’m just some kind of conduit. Neat stuff, I say; also, scary stuff.  But it’s often The Way Things Happen.

Rule # 97: Sometimes bridges appear at just the right time, but not before, and sometimes we can’t see what’s on the other side of the bridge. This is OK. Get used to it.

Rule # 177: If you don’t step out into the unknown at times, you can never accomplish anything spectacular.

Another challenge for you: Write those three pages every day. It will help transform your life. If you’d like to find out more about this, go get yourself a book called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. She’ll explain all about it right in the introduction to the book.

And that’s all for today. I hope you go and try the little experiment if you haven’t ever done something like that in your life. Maybe you’ve been led in a direction that will surprise you. We never know, we never really know. Do we?

And now I have a list of three more things I want to tell you about: 1) Samantha’s housewarming party; 2) People who don’t think they’re creative; 3) How Hobblestone and Harry got to be friends. Maybe we’ll get to cross those bridges some day.

Meanwhile, don’t fret about any of the following: 1) tomorrow; 2) Why did Samantha think it necessary to buy her own home; 3) random things like avocados.