Through Lattice Windows: The Topic For Today
"Writing in the stream-of-consciousness way is a joy because it invariably tells me something I don't already know. It is a creative process, not just a rehashing of past events or familiar emotions,'' declares columnist Leanne Hunt.
To read more of Leanne's entertaining and thought-provoking words please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/through_lattice_windows/
Anybody who has had to write letters to distant relatives, editorial columns for a newspaper or even a script for a play-writing competition has first to ask himself the question: What am I going to write about? I ask myself the same question every morning when I sit down to write my journal but I intentionally don't stop to answer it.
Instead, I lift the lid of my laptop, open the relevant file, page-down to the end of my document and begin to type. I always start with the date, which is a good way of telling my mind that it is time to get into gear. Then I begin putting down my thoughts in a stream of consciousness. This step gets the words flowing freely. It also stills my inner critic, allowing me to write without inhibition. Pretty soon, I find a single dominant theme emerging and I know - I am on my way.
In case you are wondering how a partially-sighted person who needs a guide dog to walk down the street actually manages this on a practical level, I'll tell you. I make use of technology. My computer has a nifty speech capability that reads menus and text. Opening a file is simply a case of scrolling through a few audio titles, and once I am in my document, the words I type are spoken back to me as I go along. I use earplugs to ensure privacy and can keep the brightness of my screen on zero percent since I don't need to refer to the visual image. This is great when it comes to flying on airplanes or sitting in doctors' waiting-rooms - although I have been known to attract some strange looks on account of my intense interaction with what appears to be a dead machine!
Writing in the stream-of-consciousness way is a joy because it invariably tells me something I don't already know. It is a creative process, not just a rehashing of past events or familiar emotions.
Indeed, it's like giving birth to something. I am as interested to see what that will be as the next person, because I simply don't know what is going to appear. Certainly, it will be a composite of things I have already thought or experienced. However, like a dream, it is also novel and surprising, perhaps delightful, perhaps slightly alarming. In any case, it is valuable to me simply because it breaks new ground.
As I indicated in the beginning, the technique of spontaneous expression is not only useful as a private diary exercise. It also works for shared pieces of writing. Take letters, for example. We are accustomed to writing letters that give a broad overview of our recent activities - where we've been, who we've seen and what we've managed to get done. Imagine, however, focusing only on the moment of writing. You begin by sharing your present mood, briefly describe the situation that produced it, and then proceed as if you are actually in the other person's presence, discussing the matter. The letter takes on a completely different flavor. Instead of being bland and remote, a mere reporting of what has already happened, it becomes topical and captivating, drawing the recipient into your life. Of course, there is the danger that he may reply with scorn, insults or icy reserve, but such reactions only indicate that he feels provoked. They do not lessen you as a person. In fact, your honesty and openness is an act of love, against which there is no law.
The same goes for other kinds of public writing. Why add to the plethora of predictable prose and politically-correct editorial when you can contribute something fresh and thought-provoking? I say, let corporate brand managers and government spokesmen toe the party line if they want to, but we are human beings before we are members of a group. We should express our humanity in our writing before we express our allegiances. If we don't, our allegiances will eventually hold us back because they will prevent us from exploring other avenues of thought, other perspectives on the world, other ways of being in the universe.
When I began employing this "unbounded" kind of writing, it was to help me solve practical problems like finding transport, accessing information or meeting people. Today I use it primarily to address spiritual issues such as the purpose of my life and the possibility of communicating with souls across time and space. Because it has been so instrumental in my own growth, I have come to believe in it as a technique to help others in their growth. Not only that, I believe it can liberate whole societies from their narrow self-definitions and spur them on to greater and greater achievements.
