How writing helps to shift our focus
Posted on 22. Jan, 2008 by Joanna in Creativity
One of the things I notice about writing every day is that helps to shift my focus.
When the ‘big picture’ threatens to overwhelm we can use our words to shift back down to the here and now, paying attention to specifics, noticing, and wondering, at the detail of everyday life.
And when the world seems drab and grey we can choose to look up and around for different possibilities, new worlds to be explored, that wild unnoticed flash of colour.
Some days this matters more than others. I don’t know what it is about January in the UK. A fortnight ago I was writing about ‘holiday day’
the most popular day of the year to banish the post-Christmas blues and book a summer holiday
Yesterday was dubbed “the bleakest day of the year” in Britain, because of these six things:
the dank and gloomy weather; Christmas debt; a feeling of monotony after the Christmas cheer has faded; broken New Year’s resolutions; low levels of motivation; and a desperate feeling that you need to take action to improve your drab existence.
And yes, the weather yesterday was truly miserable. Cold, dark and pouring with rain. (And no Emma it doesn’t entirely help to hear that it’s t-shirt weather in Sardinia!)
So I kept my focus firmly on things that would keep me looking up, looking forward, and thinking positive thoughts.
Writing. My Italian class. Looking forward to autumn sunshine in Sardinia. And thinking, yes, a writing holiday in Italy does, indeed, sound good.
from Joanna in Edinburgh
January 2008
Photo Credit: Vista by antonellomusina on Flickr
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