I'm writing this by the White River in Bethel, VT with my kids on either side of me and Eric in a beach chair close by. Everyone is reading. It's a beautiful summer day, and we've just swum in the river, which gets surprisingly deep in the middle.
One thing I love about working remotely is that I can work from beautiful places. There's a different rhythm to not only my life but also my thoughts when I'm outside in the natural world.
I find that often my best ideas come after I've paused, stopped actually thinking, when my nervous system slows down, when my body relaxes. This, of course, is what meditation helps us do, and is one reason I so often bring meditation into my writing teaching.
Most great scientific and mathematical discoveries come not when the person is actually working on the problem directly, but instead when they are walking, or just woken up from sleeping--when their mind seems to be occupied with something else, and there is space for a new way of approaching a problem to arise.
(We need new approaches in so many areas—certainly in our larger social sphere as well!)
With that in mind, I invite you to give yourself permission truly to take time off. We are not machines. Our writing life is not a factory. Allow yourself to listen to what this season is asking of you. Pausing is not an indulgence; it's a human right and need.
One of my poetry teachers and mentors, Lucie Brock-Broido, used to only write poetry in the fall. I have another friend who does her best work in summer—and another who mainly writes in the winter.
Listen to your own rhythms. Trust that your creative life will be there for you even if you pause, that your own cycles, your own body and subconscious have a wisdom you can trust.
PS: Thank you if you already responded to my survey about a new poetry class this fall.
If you haven't already, I'd be o grateful if you could take three minutes and fill out the form so I can hear what most interests you. Whether you're looking for a longer poetry class or not, please respond because I'll take your thoughts and requests into consideration when I make my next free offering as well.
I have many new ideas and teachings that I want to share with you, and I'm taking the summer to allow them to percolate. I'd love to hear from you so I can add your desires to the mix.