Exactly Here, Today: An Exercise for Writers with Quotes by Dani Shapiro
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 50 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
“I think there’s something about a writer’s disposition, that is, even if unaware, always slightly in a witness state.”
- Dani Shapiro
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale. Then set a timer for three minutes, close your eyes, and rest.
Prompt.
“We may be halfway through a novel, an essay, a story, or a memoir or we may be nearing the finish line on a piece that has taken us years. But wherever we are in our work, we have never been exactly here, today. Today, we need to relearn what it is that we do. We have to remind ourselves to be patient, gentle with our foibles, ruthless with our time, withstanding of our frustrations. We remember what it is that we need. The solitude of an empty home, a walk through the woods, a bath, or half an hour with a good book—the echo of well-formed sentences in our ears. Whatever it takes to begin again.” - Dani Shapiro
Practice.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and write about beginning again using the quote above and/or the questions below.
—What are your thoughts on the quote above?
—What do you want to begin again today?
—What do you need to remember about your writing and creative practice today?
—How do you want to honor your body, mind, and soul today?
Want More?
Here’s the Rumpus Interview with Dani Shapiro from 2014.
Read Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Lifeby Dani Shapiro
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Flourish Anyway with Rhythms, Rituals, & Retreats
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
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