Writing & Journal Exercises

Am I Just A Lighthouse

I remember in high school writing a poem accompanied by my hand drawn image of a Lighthouse.  It spoke of being a solitary bearer of light, showing the way to sailors, attempting to protect them from hitting rocks and shallow waters.

Though, writing in a lighthouse is not particularly ideal, long term, it would be a neat two-week experience.  I say this because of the 911 feel a lighthouse carries with it.  Fodder for the writing perhaps, but writing requires a stillness and peace.  Also, seeing the beautiful ocean waves below, so enticing - it would be hard to stay up there and write all day.

Comparably, writing on a mountain would be lovely.  Specifically in one of those gigantic windowed homes made of gorgeous rich wood, overlooking a vast landscape below.  Now that would be magnificent.

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

Life

Something a little more mundane:

I'm sitting on a large comfy chair with my feet up.  A notebook is on my lap and I am writing.  There is a fire roaring in the fireplace to my left and the high-definition tv is on to my front-right.  I sit and write in my living room about the evening. 

The evening hosted the lively companionship of friends.  A lavish dinner was prepared and shared with everyone and then we talked about our travels and ideas, projects.

Earlier that afternoon, hours before this social gathering, I hosted this week's writing circle.  Eight of us attended and wrote for two hours with some time in between for sharing.

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

Brimming Stone

A table made out of a slab of quartz crystal is positioned on a vast bedding of tumbled amethyst rocks.  The chair I sit on is made of lapis lazuli.   There is a huge window in front of me, and a skylight that allows the full sun or full moonlight to shine in.  There is a wall made into a perpetual waterfall and it too is filled with gemstones. 

I have papers made of all kinds, but there is garden of papyrus outside that I can I see.  I make my own paper from it.  The ink is made from pure plant dyes, again from plants found in my garden.  I spend many sacred moments writing in this special place.

When I need to draw in some inspiration, I take a moment to play my harp.  It stands in the corner awaiting my hands to strum its strings.

And when rest from writing is needed momentarily, I lay down on a floating mat, raised above the ground.  It gives me a subtle and gentle rocking movement - safe and secure.  The water is scented with essential oils of my liking and I can heat or cool the water's temperature as I prefer.   

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

Travel As Writer

This ideal writing spot comes to me in the form of a journey.  I'd love to travel to the homes and favourite places of great writers, and stay a night or two and simply write and write.  Those writers that have past, and are living on without their corporal bodies.   I feel that these places would carry with  them an extra weight having been seen with the penetrating eyes of the writer and the beautiful love of the poet's soul.

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

Palatial Room

Whimsical:

A crystalline palatial room behind a waterfall, I sit and write actual accounts of the activities of the nature faeries that appear to me.  I watch them and listen, and write.  Sometimes they sit and rest allowing me to paint them.

When its time for me myself to take a rest from writing, I come out from the room, into the brightly sunlit waterfall and let the water soothe me.  Then I go for a gentle swim.  Fruit trees line the banks and I take some fruit from the branches and enjoy a picnic as I rest on the grassy bank.

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

Pink Rose

I have no idea how ideal it would be in actuality, but this came to me in my imagination:

I'm sitting at my writing desk right in front of a large window, pen in hand, poised.  Outside my window I notice I'm situated on a beautiful main street of a small quaint town.  Artists, spiritual people, innovators, actors, writers live along this road or come in from out of town to visit.  I, in the window watch and write what I see. 

A man, a handsome smiling man, regulary spots me in my window writing - and when he does he gets my attention by doing something grandiose or romantic.  Today, he put a pink rose between his teeth and bowed as though he wore a cape.  It made me happy.

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

The Writing Session Love

    He's sitting beside me, my lover-companion, almost in a meditative state but its just that he is so relaxed and content.  He's sitting there doing his own thing while I am writing.  Its a magical hard-to-explain experience.  I've never been able to do my work while someone is present, but with him, with him I am able to write.  The comfort level and trust is so high and strong that I write and write and write and write even as he is there beside me.   When I feel stuck he looks up before I do, our eyes meet and I automatically know what word to put down on paper to continue the flow of my progress.  When we're done,  I have several draft chapters written and he loves them all.  After he reads them, I see a single tear rolls from his eye, and he tells me he loves me and is proud of me.  And I tell him, I adore him and I appreciate his attentiveness and devotion profoundly.  Then we begin  making dinner together as  we are expecting a company of friends.  They arrive and we eat jovially, as an idea sparks my mind and I excuse myself from the table for a second to jot down the details.  While I am gone, he shares with joy some moments of the writing session earlier, and those things he is most proud of me that day.  I return to the table and there is a beautiful glow.  I am supported.  I am loved.

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

Natural Grace

I'm imagining my ideal writing location right now.  I'm sitting on a teak lounge chair, that rests on a soft, fine, white sand.  I'm at a beach somewhere, where the water is a teal/turquoise/deep blue/green.  There are a couple large conch shells in view scattered around me.  No seagulls, no insects pestering.  I have a cup/glass holder to the side of me with a luscious drink that quenches my thirst with each sip and makes me smile.  I rest my writing on my lap with my legs bent slightly.  I hear soft music playing in the background somewhere.  The sound of the ocean overruns it in intervals when the tide comes in.  There is a light breeze but not too much that would press my hair into my face.  And I write and write without distraction.  Everything mentioned above supports the flow of what I'm writing and does not lead me away into fantasy.  But instead accentuates it with a lovely grace and support.

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]

The Council

    I sit among the others at a crystalline table that glows with love and wisdom.  It is a high level of Heaven, a council called The Double Diamond Plantinum Council of Ascension.  Ascended Masters and Angels sit on all sides, meditating, discussing, resolving important matters as I sit and write quietly.  The room appears small but intense.  Focus is key here as well as all virtues in action at once.  They are my friends, my guides, my loves and they are always ready to speak with me whenever I need help and they let me know what they think of my writing when I ask them.  This is an ideal spot to write because I feel like I belong, and the energies around me here are supportive and as intent and intense as I am to do the most good and in Divine Order. 

Exercise:  Imagine The Ideal - Imagine an ideal pleasant writing spot for yourself, where you feel comfortable, have privacy, and can establish a supportive routine.   [a variation of Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 9]