3 Things That I Learnt from the Write to Mindfulness Workshop #writewithosdotme

Like most women around the world, I am a serial multitasker who runs through several hoops a day to keep things running smoothly. I am trying to finish my first fiction, I also have a consulting job that keeps me on my toes, I run my house like clockwork and of course, I am in service of my five rescue cats 24 x 7. Did I mention that we sold everything and moved to a completely new country exactly a year ago? Planting roots in the new soil takes time. But then who said it was going to be easy?

What I have struggled with in the past two years is to be more mindful, to catch my breath, and sometimes just be. With juggling so many balls all at once, one ball seems to have fallen off – mine! 

So, when Medha Sri announced the Write to Mindfulness Workshop I jumped at the opportunity. The workshop was spread over two weekends, and it was scheduled for early morning, which was perfect for me. Stars aligned in my favour and I was raring to go. 

What I was not aware of was that Medha Sri is not only a fabulous Editor and a journalist, but also a seasoned detective who is an expert in the art of deduction. From the get-go, she was hand-holding and guiding all the participants in such a gentle way that no one felt left out. By now she is well versed with everyone’s writing style and nudges us individually in a direction we need to go. How she deduced all this, I have no idea. But boy, was I glad that she was there to help us. 

My strength has always been creative writing with emotions at its core. Factual writing or self-help subjects don’t come easy to me. So, when my assignment for today was to retrospect on what I had absorbed so far in the workshop and write an article about what helped me to be a better writer, I took it up as a challenge.

Here are my 3 Tips that Changed My Writing Game: 

Tip 1: When stuck, go back to basics

There are days when we are not able to write a single word or lack motivation. No amount of staring at the blank page helps. In such scenarios doing free-flowing writing exercises are a way to go. A simple exercise like writing a paragraph where every word starts with the next letter of the alphabet can help get your creative juices flowing. Medha Sri challenged us, and you can read my attempt here. I don’t know if I cracked the exercise but by the end of it, I was craving a big piece of cheesecake. Kanika Chopra wrote a wonderful blog about some similar writing tools that you can read here.

Tip 2: Use different tools to get your creative juices flowing

On the first day of the workshop, a lovely photograph of a lady by the ocean was the visual cue. We were free to interpret that photograph in any way we could and write something about it. That photograph triggered an old memory which eventually led me to write a very personal piece which you can read here. Photographs and different objects can help in getting your creative juices flowing. Use them when required to enhance your writing.

Tip 3: Unleash the writer within

We all have stories to tell. We all have something to say. Medha Sri got many first-time writers out of their shell and encouraged them to post their articles. We were reminded frequently that writing is a form of mindfulness and that while writing we should only focus on writing and nothing else. Someone wrote a cooking recipe, while some wrote about their life. Many choose to write fiction while others opted for unusual subjects. There were no boundaries. And most importantly there was no judgment. That helped everyone bloom. 

So here is a big thanks to Medha Sri for getting me to be more present in my writing process. I did not write one article a day like many participants. But I was able to clock in 8,000 words in one week towards my fiction. That is a huge achievement in itself.

Sometimes we have words, untold stories, or ideas trapped within our heads. We need someone to crack the door open so that creativity can tumble out. Thank you for opening that door for me Medha Sri!