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"We're odd when office supplies make us happy."
"No. Just writers."

-Me and Nicole Palmby
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Nanowrimo 2011

Nanowrimo 2011
30 Days Of Literary Abandon!

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01 March 2010

The Artist's Way-The Week Of No Reading

My friend Nikki and I are doing The Artist's Way to help recover our sense of creativity. She just finished the week of no reading. I'm supposed to do that week starting now. I'm going to say it right now and deal with the consequences immediately: I will not be participating in the no reading part of this whole deal.

Let me explain. Three times a week, I go to the Chiropractor's office. I have to wait. Sometimes for a long time. I don't have an MP3 player, so I can't take my music with me. Sure, I can take a notebook or my computer and get some writing done, but it's not that easy to do in that little chair in the office. The only thing left to me is to read. I can't knit at this point in my treatment (it's either knit or write. I choose to write), so what else can I do?

Then there's the two days a week that I'm at the plasma donation center. One arm is stuck with a rather large needle, so typing is out of the question. Again, I can't listen to music. If I have to choose between watching TV (the workers at the plasma place have no sense of good television and therefore I am stuck watching stupid talk shows that rot my brain) and reading, I choose reading.

To make me stop reading for a week is impossible. It's simply not going to happen. I know I should have more respect for my creative recovery process than that, but I can still read and manage to write as well. Will I maybe cut down on my reading time? Sure. I can do that. But to stop reading altogether? *shakes head* I just can't do it. I might actually go crazy and hurt myself or someone else if I have to stop reading. That would mean I have to go to an insane asylum and that's not good.

So go ahead. Berate me and tell me how horrible of a person I am for not giving up my books for one week. I'm prepared for the verbal abuse.

3 comments:

Nicole said...

Kelly, the point of the reading deprivation is to allow your creative self (the child) to play in other ways. What can you bring to the chiropractor's office that could occupy your time instead of reading?

It was a very difficult week, but I'm glad I did it. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have discovered how much I love sewing.

The people who have the most resistance to these tasks are often the ones who benefit the most from them. Remember: trust the process. You show up and the rest will follow.

You can do it. I know you can. You're a strong, independent, confident woman who can do whatever she puts her mind to.

And I'll be right here with you!

Nicole said...

p.s. Just try it. It's okay if you slip. I did. But just try. You may be surprised at what you find out about yourself (and your creativity) if you do.

p.p.s. You could use that time for prayer.

Unknown said...

There isn't much more to do at the Chiro's office except talk and I don't always want to talk to people, you know? Especially people I don't know. I'll probably end up talking to them tomorrow about the whole weight loss thing, but that's only going to last so long. *groans as if in pain* I'll try it. I will slip. I'm just letting you know right now. I will slip. I'm giving up carbs and smoking and now you want me to give up reading in the same week? It's a lot.