Poetica Magazine

When I teach creative writing, I stress the significance of writing by hand. I make a little speech about how the smoothness of a pen between one's fingers, the scent of crisp, white paper, is a sensory pleasure that is lost with technology. Then, I explain how the writing hand is connected to the creative part of the brain and touches the unconscious in a way the click clack of computer keys cannot possibly.

All true (I think), and in fact, writing by hand has in the past given me some of my most surprising work. I mentionl this because I was asked the other day about my "writing habits." And I then realized, it had been too long since I had written by hand, since I'd returned to what Natalie Goldberg terms "Beginner's Mind," a kind of writing that asks for nothing other than for words (or a mish-mosh of letters) to be released on paper.

One of the reasons I've bypassed this early (and often glorious) step is that I've become glued to what I want to write. I sit down with an agenda and an insistence that I stick to it. I tap tap tap away (90 wpm), revising this, rewording that, reworking the same old essays, no surprises. A large part of what drives this, is my desire to publish stuff, so close to being ready, but not quite.  Publishing stuff is great, but at the same time, I'm losing the sheer delight of surprise by what landed on the page, sans agenda.

The other night I was an hour early for my yoga class. So, I sat in this most peaceful place and asked the yogi at the front desk if I could borrow a pen and a scrap of paper.  I lighted up inside, felt new to writing, to this gift so readily available, and I scribbled like crazy. By the time class started I had two pages, and I wasn't done. And, the thing is, I doubt if typing would have helped me discover these characters who seemed to reside in my spleen, my belly, so deep, I felt an ache in releasing them. A good ache.

There's little I need to do today; days like this sometimes scare me. Too many hours to call up negativity, guilt, feelings that need little coaxing. And so, I'll go to yoga. I'll get there early.  Maybe I'll get a little more familiar with these characters in me, or I might let my words wander. Today, I'll put pen to paper, begin, and try to not care where it ends up. Today I'll be my own student.          

                                                                                                                     .

Thanks for reading JWorld Cafe, the Poetica Magazine Blog

Sandra Hurtes, Guest Blogger

                                                                                                                               .

Sandra Hurtes is the author of the essay collection, On My Way To Someplace Else (Poetica Publishing 2009). She's written essays and articles for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Poets & Writers and many other publications. Visit her website: http://www.sandrahurtes.com/.

                                                                                            .

Linda Pressman, Blog Editor