I get caught up in the how’s of writ­ing a lot. Which note­book do i want to use for what pur­pose (con­se­quently i buy a lot of note­books which sit blank for years…) And now that i have even more writ­ing tools at my dis­posal, there’s a lot of inter­nal con­flict. Do i want to write on 750words? Or in a note­book? Or on scrivener? And which note­book? Would this be bet­ter suited for my jour­nal, or this blank book I carry to cap­ture ideas.

It’s all ego games and dual­ity, resis­tance sent to trip me up.

What does it mat­ter which one I choose? Lately, I’m learn­ing to let go. When I feel like writ­ing in my jour­nal, I write, even if it’s some­thing I intend to post (some­times I feel I can be more open writ­ing in my jour­nal.) Some­times I need to get a lot out and typ­ing is faster and eas­ier. But I do love my hand­writ­ing and the flow of pens and the smell of paper, and I draw a lot and paint in my jour­nal. It helps the flow. There’s so many dif­fer­ent types of paper I like too, so many note­books to choose from. I get anx­i­ety. I never thought my lit­tle note­book predica­ments were any­thing more than silly, but now i see it for what it is. If i get hung up on where I write, I don’t get any writ­ing done. Bummer.

Lately, though, I find new pat­terns aris­ing. If I set goals, like to write on 750words every day for as long as I can, I find myself writ­ing even more in my jour­nal (when I first signed up a year ago, this was one of my fears, what if I say all I need to say online and my note­books go unused and my pen’s atro­phy?!), then I’m writ­ing in my other note­books, then I’m craft­ing posts, and draft­ing plans, and cre­at­ing sto­ries. Some days it is hard to get rolling, yes­ter­day I wrote on 750words “I don’t know why I’m here ( have noth­ing to say.” This hap­pens. Today though I wrote over 1500 words and I didn’t stop there.

It doesn’t mat­ter where I write. It mat­ters that I write. I won’t run out of things to say per­ma­nently, I never do. When i feel like that my hands want to caress a pen and lov­ingly stroke a paper, then do it! If i feel like I need to go briskly, that I need to free write (like now) then I go to the com­puter. If there’s a note­book closer to me, then I’ll chose that one. Now I’m learn­ing to just sit and let my body decide what to use. Now I’m writ­ing more than ever on mul­ti­ple plat­forms in mul­ti­ple places with dif­fer­ent expe­ri­ences, each that I love and cher­ish deeply.

A few nights ago, I wrote for about 4 hrs straight, all in dif­fer­ent places. Each place serves a dif­fer­ent need in me. There doesn’t need to be a dual­ity, a ver­sus, what I have to say needs to get said regard­less of where I say it.

I’ve been writ­ing about writ­ing a lot. It clearly fills me with joy. It is my pas­sion, my med­i­ta­tion. I love my tools, but they’re just tools. Let’s remem­ber not to get caught up in them, let’s just write.

Related Posts:

• Prin­ci­ples of Art: Steal from your­self (aka, every­thing is an artists tool)
• 17 ways I make magic hap­pen: writ­ing edition
• The ulti­mately sim­ple 2 step guide to choos­ing what you believe in.
• I DIDN’T QUIT
• Cre­ativ­ity & aware­ness: a case for self involvement