Present Moment, Prolific Moment: Using Mindfulness to Write
Presenter: Alexandria Peary
Writing can become much more fulfilling if we think of it as happening right Now. Much is lost when we overlook the present moment because we forfeit rewarding writing experiences in exchange for stress, frustration, boredom, fear, and shortchanged invention and creativity (it's a poor bargain). Through mindfulness, we can reduce our writing apprehension and the writing blocks that come from future- or past-oriented thinking. Every moment can become a prolific moment: we can write more quickly and with greater ease of mind. In this presentation, we discuss writing tools that emerge when present time is highlighted: impermanence, audience demons, monkey mind self-talk, and preconceptions about writing ability and writing task. Participants will learn basic strategies to incorporate mindfulness into their writing lives.
"Alex’s program was inspiring and freeing, as it released me from the worry about writing to be perfect. Her use of breathing, relaxing writing prompts, and positivity skillfully helped us achieve some writing experience without panic. Thank you for the opportunity to work with such a talented writer and educator."
- Sandown Public Library
Join us as we celebrate 50 years of bringing the humanities to your community!