Category: Uncategorized

by Nancy Casey

When you have a writing practice, it doesn’t really matter what you write. The only thing that matters is that you fill up the page. Sometimes you will startle yourself with how brilliant you are. Other times you will say, “Meh. Why am even doing this?”

Even a lackluster page is a good page because you mind is working in the background, rolling over what you did and didn’t write, knitting the details together and making you a little bit more grounded.

For today’s writing, you will start with nonsense and see where it might take you.

What writing could be more nonsensical than random squiggles?

Draw a line at the top of the page where your title will go. Then scatter a half dozen or so random squiggles evenly across the page.

Do any of them remind you of anything? A face? A bunny? A puddle? A shoe?

Pick one of the squiggles and add something to it. You could put more lines to complete the drawing. Or give it a cartoon bubble so it can say something. Or write what it is (or isn’t) next to it.

Do this for each one of the squiggles.

If you have a squiggle that is absolutely meaningless to you, add another squiggle to it and see if it turns into anything.

Don’t think very hard. Just keep messing around until your page is full.

Maybe you will end up with a page that has people or objects talking to each other. Maybe each tiny drawing will be its own masterpiece. Maybe your page will look like spaghetti with worms. Perhaps you will like some parts more than others. It doesn’t really matter.

What matters is that you sat down with your writing materials and filled up a page.

Look over the whole page. Keep adding to the drawings or writing more words until something occurs to you that somehow connects everything together. That will be your title. Or the idea for your title. Write a title at the top of the page along with the date.

Take a moment to think about what this writing was like. We easily recognize “writing” when we see a wall of orderly words on a page. This page shows you how writing can be random and disorderly, too.

Whatever you write, you mind will keep working on it, creating order, making sense, and reminding you who you are.

Even after you put the page away. Even when you are asleep.

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.

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Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. She occasionally teaches a Write-For-You class at the Recovery Center. For more information about classes and writing certificates, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.

 

by Nancy Casey

Here we are, all of us, adjusting to the New Abnormal.

A lot of people have new habits. Some are talking about new things. People are feeling uncomfortable emotions. Thoughts are different. Relationships have changed. A zillion things are new in people’s lives. Many of them are things we don’t like very much.

Today in your writing, you will be thinking about how it used to be.

Ask yourself:

What did I have in my life a month or so ago that I wish I still had now?

Then ask yourself:

What did I like about that?

When you take up your writing tools, write about what you miss.  Tell what it is and what it was like. Write what you liked about it.

Your mind might be eager to chime in with what’s crummy and rotten about not having this thing that you miss, or other things you worry about losing, but don’t write those things down.

If the gloomy thoughts come, sort them out by asking yourself:

What’s been taken away from me? What do I miss? Why did I like that?

You might find yourself writing about just one of the wonderful things that you used to have that you can’t have right now, or you might write about many. Explain how it was and what was good about it.

Don’t forget to illustrate.  You can make your page have more pictures than words if you want to. Doodling relaxes your mind. Sometimes a cartoon is the best explanation.

Fill up one page. How long does it take you? If you feel like it takes too long, consider writing with a fatter pen.

When the page is finished read over your work. Make small changes if you need to. Add some color or decoration to the page if you haven’t already. If the page is filled with drawing, add a few words.

When you are satisfied with the page, give it a title and write the date on it, 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.

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Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. She occasionally teaches a Write-For-You class at the Recovery Center. For more information about classes and writing certificates, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.

 

by Nancy Casey

There’s a virus going around. It’s almost everywhere. This is the same as saying that it’s not everywhere.

Perhaps you are home alone. Perhaps you are home alone with too many people. Maybe you are sick. Maybe you can’t stay home because other people need you too much. Maybe you are angry.

Maybe you are worried about money. Maybe you are worried about people you love. Maybe you are worried about people you don’t even know. Maybe you are scared.

You are probably thinking about this whole situation a lot. Even if you don’t know what to think.

Today in your writing, think about something else.

Your mission today is to write down thoughts, observations, memories and other ideas that have absolutely nothing to do with this pandemic that we find ourselves in the middle of.

Maybe you will make a list. You could also tell one long story, or write notes for a few shorter ones. You can use the alphabet. Or colors. Restrict yourself to writing down things that are true.

You could start with the weather. You could tell the story of an object (or several) in your home. You can recall an event from when you were half the age that you are now. You can explain how gravity or a dishwasher work.

Write anything, as long as it has nothing to do with this scary disease and all of the things about it that are out of your control.

If you start writing about something unrelated to the virus, you are likely to be reminded of the virus somehow. Don’t write that part down. Your pen is easier to discipline than your mind. But your pen can show your mind that all thoughts don’t have to lead to virus thoughts.

A couple of things will happen when you do this.

• Writing, just writing—pushing your pen across the page—will make you a little bit calmer than you’d be if you weren’t writing.
• Inside your own personal universe, the space that is not-virus will grow. Your actions and decisions will be informed by this space.
• Someday in the future you will look back at this page and remember this time. You will like what you have written. It will remind you of doing your best. It will make you appreciate yourself more.

So get out the writing stuff. Draw a line across the page where the title will go. Leave a little bit of space for a drawing. Get to work.

It’s one positive thing you can do today. And it won’t take very long.

After you have filled a page, read over your work. Make small changes if you need to. Add some color or decoration to the page if you haven’t already. When you are satisfied with the page, give it a title and write the date on it, 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.

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Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. You can find more of her work here. More than anything else, she hopes you are being good to yourself. She looks forward to the time that Write-For-You classes can start up in person again at the Recovery Center. For more information about classes and writing certificates, contact Nancy or the Latah Recovery Center.