How long have I been wed
to myself? Calling myself
darling, dressing for my own
pleasure, each morning
choosing perfume to turn
me on. How long have I been
alone in this house but not
alone? Married less
to the man than to the woman
silvering with the mirror.
I know the kind of wife
I need and I become her:
the one who will leave
this earth at the same instant
I do. I am my own bride,
lifting the veil to see
my face. Darling, I say,
I have waited for you all my life.
I shared this poem by Maggie Smith in Intuitive Writing for Women as a prompt this spring; it also inspired my recent poem, I Waited For You All My Life.
Thoughts on intuitive writing and the writing process
As much as writing is intuitive, wild, and free, it is also deliberate, conscious, and skillful; all of which are abilities we have if we aspire and choose to nourish and cultivate, whether we consider ourselves a 'writer' or not.
I often hear, "I am not a writer" or "I am not creative." I, too, included at one point. When I practiced being curious and embracing my imperfections around my writing and creative abilities, I discovered the story I told myself was no longer true.
Though our skill level and capacity will vary, we are all authors and storytellers of our own lives. We are all intuitive and wise. We are all creative and artists in our own way. These are not special gifts given at birth to a select few.
The more we pay attention to and become conscious of our creative and intuitive abilities, we can choose to nurture our relationship with these skills and innate capabilities.
This is all to say, and should you desire, a gentle invitation to get curious about the thoughts and practices you repeat and keep.
Our relationship with writing, intuition, and creativity will evolve, adapt, and shift depending on our readiness, accountability, and genuineness with the process and ourselves. As well as with the circumstances and context of our lives.
When we show up consistently to our writing practice with intention and sincerity, it integrates and expands our capacity in ways we had never imagined.
As Rick Ruben writes so beautifully in his book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being,
"We're all different and we're all imperfect, and the imperfections are what makes each of us and our work interesting. We create pieces reflective of who we are, and if insecurity is part of who we are, then our work will have a greater degree of truth in it as a result."
Our self-doubt, imperfections, and writing are here to serve us. When we write from a curious, willing, and open mind and body, our work reflects and expresses what is authentic through our unique lens and current internal landscape.
Writing is a truth-teller. It is a great self-care and self-discovery practice as it can reach places we never thought to explore in the intimacy of our own space. It has a way to draw from what's inside and tell the truth about our lives.
One of the gifts of intuitive flow writing is learning to create beautiful, spontaneous, innate, more honest, and less perfect pieces.
Intuitive writing can offer a safe space to create and expand your relationship with these aspects of yourself and is a wonderful conversation starter on the road to learning and discovering more about oneself.
In Intuitive Writing for Women, we use poetry as writing prompts, and we continuously write in a relaxed and fluid way for 15 minutes to get past the perfectionist and the part of our mind that likes to do things well.
What story will you write today? What imperfections are you willing and ready to honor and celebrate?
Prompt
You might begin by writing with one of the following:
I become her (him)
lifting the veil to see
Grab a pen and paper or your favorite journal. Set your timer. Write for 15 minutes, pen never leaving the page. See what words flow.
Comment if you try. I would love to hear about your journey and experience with intuitive flow writing!
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