Rituals

After weeks of lying flat, I’m finally sitting up AND writing again. Now I have no idea if I will be able to use any of what I’ve written and won’t until the haze of pain meds goes away in a few weeks, but I still got something down on paper. Life is finally starting to become normal again.

It’s funny the small things we take for granted, like sitting up or being outside. Right now, I am out on my porch with my laptop. My cup of coffee is sitting to my right. It’s cloudy and it just started to rain. It’s cooler today by almost 15 degrees. I’m listening to the wind ruffle the leaves of the tree beside my apartment. I feel energized, ready to open my new WIP and get some massive word count down. I haven’t felt that way it what feels like an eternity.

My morning porch ritual was something I did almost every morning until a month ago. I’d wake up and put on a pot of coffee. While it brewed, I moved my laptop outside and checked the weather then dressed accordingly. I’d get my phone, my pack of smokes (yes I know, a filthy habit I one day really want to quit) and take them outside. After I poured my coffee, I’d finally sit down, check my email, do a little surfing then get down to business.

I hadn’t realized how much I missed and needed this for creativity until yesterday. I don’t know why I need to write outside, or why I have to sit in the exact same spot, but there is something about it that clears my mind and helps me focus.

So this got me thinking this morning. What is it about rituals that help with writing? Is it a kind of Pavlov effect? That your mind gets used to a certain set of events in order to prepare to write? It seems the case for me.

Do any of you have writing rituals? What happens when that ritual is messed with? Does it stop the creativity flow for you?

Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com