On Being Stuck by Laraine Herring

Author:Laraine Herring
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 2015-02-23T16:00:00+00:00

15 |Set an Intention

You’ve likely had the experience of going to the grocery store, list in hand, prepared to get what you need for your dinner plans. You’ve also likely arrived at the grocery store without a list and simply wandered the aisles, selecting whatever sounds good in the moment for your body. Both scenarios have benefits. The list keeps you on track, moving efficiently aisle by aisle and paying attention to your budget. But when you look for only what you’re seeking, you can miss out on many things. Wandering can allow for new food choices and help you tune in to what your body needs in the present moment. Both scenarios also have challenges. If you only get what’s on the list, you may become trapped in rigidity and routine. You may miss the gems in aisle 4. If you wander, you may wind up with a cupboard full of Doritos and not enough ingredients to make anything nutritious.

If you are blocked, consider setting an intention for your practice. This is your metaphorical grocery list for the session. What do you need? Why are you selecting those ingredients? An intention can give you focus—something to hold loosely in your mind and body as you practice. That intention helps quiet your mind. It gets your pen moving or your fingers typing. It can keep you from getting frozen by too many choices.

An intention for a writing session may be connected to a plot challenge or a character arc. It may be a research question or a prewriting immersion. Another type of intention might be to write for thirty minutes or to explore a thematic question from a new lens. An intention gives you some structure within which to work. It can give you parameters to challenge and excite your mind.

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