This week my friend Kelly and I started walking together even though we live hundreds of miles apart. She calls me and off we go, walking. This morning I felt even more ambitious than usual. I was in a new space for my haiku sunrise photo, so I started the day with an early walking start. The moonblossoms that called out to be photographed in the sunrise were in the distance.
When you are a writer, writing prompts appear out of your free flow writing.
I thought briefly I might call Kelly and say “Never mind, I walked today!” Then I thought, “I’ll go to that other park down the street and write while I am waiting for Kelly’s call.”
Mornings are literally the only cool-ish time in Bakersfield in the Summer. I enjoyed the mid-seventies sunshine and scribbled in my notebook. I was having so much fun in this “waiting” time so I wrote, “When you are a writer there is no….” and I thought “what a great writing prompt!” but my purple pen did not want to stop so I wrote “there is no waiting time. There is observing, listening, sniffing, reflection and awareness. There are toe dips into patience and scratching against buried treasure of thoughts. There is the occasional deep sinking dive bomb of awareness, there are tiny yellow flowers others don’t see. There are animals who get used to you and your stillness so they get closer and funnier so much so you almost hope whatever it is you are waiting for won’t show up after all.
When you are a writer, there is no waiting time: instead quiet moment in between are for discovery.
The phone rang and it was Kelly. Time for my second walk of the day. I included stairs and hills and wider smiles along with the huffing and puffing.
Another rich, rewarding start to my day!
How has your day been so far?
Are you ready to write from the prompt, “For writers there is no….”
Julie JordanScott, the Creative Life Midwife, is a writer, a poet performer, a Creativity Coach, A Social Media Whiz and a Mother of three. One of her greatest joys include loving people into their greatness they just aren’t quite able to realize yet.
Love your pink ringed notebook! Great post and I love the idea of walking with a friend that is far away. I may steal that!
My day has been full of love. Much of it has been spent writing and that bring me great joy.
Love that song! And it sounds like a great start to your day. What a neat idea, to walk and talk even though you are miles apart!
What a cool idea to walk with someone that lives far away! When I’m walking my mind is always running and comes up with ideas to write about. Sometimes being outside is the best place to reflect and get ideas. I love the park setting in your second picture.
Waiting in nature is one of the best ways to get creative!
I have been walking with a friend that lives in Northern California (I live in Southern California) for many years. We used to sit at our desks for our accountability calls. Then one day we realized the richness of fresh air and movement during our calls, by accident. The accident became the norm. Now, if it is raining during our calls, we feel stifled and constrained. Maybe this year I will buy an umbrella so I can continue to experience the joy that comes from our walking connection.