I will tell you what I have learned myself. For me, a long five or six mile walk helps. And one must go alone and every day. I have done this for many years. It is at these times I seem to get re-charged. If I do not walk one day, I seem to have on the next what Van Gogh calls “the meagerness”…
My explanation of it is that when I walk in a carefree way, without straining to get to my destination, then I am living in the present. And it is only then that the creative power flourishes.
Of course all through your day, however busy you are, these little times come. But they are very short in most lives. We are always doing something—talking, reading, listening to the radio, planning what to do next. The mind is kept naggingly busy on some easy, unimportant, external thing all day.
That is why most people are so afraid of being alone. For after a few minutes of unpleasant mental vacancy, the creative thoughts begin to come. And these thoughts at first are bound to be depressing, because the first thing they say is what a senseless thing life is with nothing but talk, meals, reading, uninteresting work and listening to the radio. But that is the beginning. It is just where your imagination is leading you to see how life can better.
But if you would only persist. If you would continue to be alone for a long time, amblingly swinging your legs for many miles and living in the present, then you will be rewarded: thoughts, good ideas, plots for novels, longings, decisions, revelations will come to you.
—Brenda Ueland, If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit, pp. 42-44
FROM A NIGHT WALK IN SILVER LAKE
I sometimes think walking is not only a part of writing, but a kind of writing.
Happy Thanksgiving, Heather!
Dear Heather,
and of these distractions Uland knew not; mobile phones; texts; email and personal computers (not likely at least as she died in 1985); podcasts; blogs…
Long walks and writing are home to each of you. I am glad that glowing red sign and its contents are no longer home to you 🙂
My extended thoughts generated by your post are here in Walking Songs
oh but the glowing red, and blue, and acid green lights and night in the city are beautiful, too…Thanks, Owen!…
"Not only a part of writing, but a kind of writing." That is really true. My husband and I have been walking in preparation for a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, which will not take place for at least two years. At the moment, we are walking to our church, which is 15 miles from our home, by walking a couple of miles a couple of times a week. I hope we make it before Christmas.
AMDG
tattooooo
purple
and blue wall
blue
I was going to say before Janet so rightly said it: walking is a pilgrim thing, lots of time to think and oray and be. Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving which we dont have over here !
Hi Heather,
I relate to your walking. I don't live in the city, but I appreciate your vantage point..as I grew up in Chicago. Now I live near the beach on the Northeast coast, and even in the winter I bundle up and go for a walk..it's meditation in motion. I love it.
Hi Heather,
I relate to your walking. I don't live in the city, but I appreciate your vantage point..as I grew up in Chicago. Now I live near the beach on the Northeast coast, and even in the winter I bundle up and go for a walk..it's meditation in motion. I love it.
Good Lord Heather. So true.
A blessed Advent to you.
What a nice piece.
I'm still confused about how to post here.
The great thing about a pilgrimage is that you are praying with body and soul together. It's a way of healing that rift in our being that occured at the Fall.
AMDG,
Janet
I thought I was alone in this peculiarity. I guess I am not as unique as I think I am.
" pilgrimage is…praying with body and soul together." As concise and clear as I've ever heard it expressed. Thanks, Janet.
Come walk with me.
Come walk with me.