Category: Uncategorized

by Nancy Casey

Each one of us lives at the center of our own universe. Awareness is the tool we use to explore that universe and extend it outward.

Today’s writing gives you a chance to be aware of your awareness.

Our awareness brings information from our senses. Our logical minds, emotions, and memory are part of our awareness, too.  So are “uncanny feelings” and “sixth senses.” Sometimes when people pray or meditate, they describe their experience as “pure awareness.”

Imagine a small bubble around yourself, a bubble that is close in. It could be your skin. It could be the room you are in, or everything that is within 3 feet of you. Whatever close-in bubble you choose, write down some of the things you are aware of inside of it. You might include physical objects or people, sounds and smells, ideas and plans. Whatever you are aware of in the tiny world closest to you.

After you have written several lines about your closest bubble, expand the bubble a little bit. Write about new things you can be aware of inside the bubble that’s a little bigger than the first one.

Keep doing that.  You will end up describing the universe that begins with you, starting with a small bubble that you are inside of. Then you will write about the contents of ever larger bubbles that extend outward from you.

You can organize your page in several ways. You can put yourself in the center, draw the actual bubbles and write (and draw) inside of them. Or you can divide the page into drawing space and writing space, alternating between the two according to your inspiration.

Actually, you can organize the page however you want. Just be sure to leave room for a title at the top. Write down your title after the page is full and you have looked over your work. Sometimes a really fun title will just pop into your head then.

If you like, you can repeat this exercise and put somebody else in the center of the smallest bubble. Then you have to imagine what they must be aware of. This is a good way to exercise your capacity for empathy.

In addition to a title at the top, write the date on your work, too.

Here is an example of what someone could write. But there are many different ways to do this.

You can share your work by posting it as a comment below. You can type it in, or take a photo of it and upload the image.

---

Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. Since it’s not possible to have an in-person Write-For-You class at the Recovery Center, if you are interested in writing coaching, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.

by Nancy Casey

Gather your writing stuff. Gather your thoughts. Park yourself in the present.

Notice what your senses are taking in. Notice internal things, too, like body sensations and emotions. Memories and ideas in your mind right now are also part of the present.

Randomly explore the present while you set up your page.

Draw a line across the top of your page where the title will go. Then divide the page into four equal-sized sections. Label three of those sections Small, Medium, and Large.

Keep dwelling on the present and ask yourself, What’s small? What’s medium? What’s large?  Make a list inside each section.

There are several ways to approach this. You could begin by noting something small, and then asking yourself, What’s bigger than that? Or start with something large, and ask yourself what’s smaller. Or start in the middle, choose something, and ask, What’s bigger? What’s smaller?

Another way to approach this exercise is to fill one section at a time. Write down all the small things you notice, then the medium-sized ones, and finally the large ones. Or start with the large ones. Or the medium ones.

Maybe you will start with one approach and then switch to another. You might even invent an approach of your own. The important thing is to fill each of the sections according to their labels: Small, Medium, and Large.

When you don’t know what to write, look for ideas in the present tense.

There will be one section left. From all the items on the three lists you have written, pick one thing that is important. It doesn’t have to be the most important thing. There are probably quite a few things on your lists that matter to you. Pick one of them and write a little bit about it in the fourth section.

Draw or doodle on the page if you feel like it. A bit of color adds a lot!

When you have filled the page, go back over your work. Make small changes if you want to.

Wait for a title to pop into your mind. When it does, write it on the line at the top of the page. Write the date somewhere on the page, too.

Here is an example of what someone could write.

You can share your work by posting it as a comment below. You can type it in, or take a photo of it and upload the image.

---

Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. It’s not possible at this time to have an in-person Write-For-You class at the Recovery Center. If you are interested in writing coaching, contact Nancyor the Latah Recovery Center.