Writing is it a practice or something you practise? Answer: Yes.
As a proud Canadian, I consistently check my spelling habits and given the choice, will choose to uphold Canadian conventions. You know — humour; colour; flavour — words where we hang on to the “u” and, as part of my family’s cultural inheritance, I prefer to show my English – Scottish roots, with apologies to the Irish side of the family!
Practice, when written with the seventh letter as a “c” describes the thing. Practice is a noun. “I truly enjoy my writing practice.
Practise, when written with the seventh letter as an “s” describes the action. Practise can also be a verb. “I practise writing every day.”
When it comes to spelling and being a good Canadian and honouring the memory of Great Aunt Olive who was born within the bells of London, I would need to pull out my red pen and review all of the ways I am using the word “practice”. For the next 90 days, I am committing to describe my writing practise as a verb, describes the act of writing. Practice, with a “c” is a noun is the thing I produce.
Which brings me to the topic of journal and journaling and the erudite advice: just do it. Writing is a process that requires practice. Writing, is also a product that we produce.
Spelling and properness aside, I also believe that when you are writing in the privacy of your pages, suggest that the voice in your head, including the critics, the pundits, and our dear Great Aunt Olives (ca 1890 – 1982) — to sit quietly. It is also a good idea to write with paper and pen so that Auto Correct and Co-Pilot tools of help are not distracting you. As a Canadian who is trying to hang on to our country’s spelling conventions, auto-correct is always correcting and distracting my attention. Consider this true story:
My friend is planning a celebration of life and wrote me a text related to her plans. The Spell Check function on her device made a correction. Celebration was “auto-corrected” to read Celery and my friend is now planning a “Celery of Life”.
Sometimes we can laugh at the intuition of our devices. Other times, it is exceedingly frustrating and distracting. Writing is a practice that takes time, attention and quiet focus.
When I work with others, I have one rule: Date the page and then write whatever comes. After dating the page, you can allow your mind to wander. You can go deep into the dusty boxes sitting in the archives of memory or you can stay “top of mind” and write with a sense of urgency, about whatever is bubbling.
Journal Writing is a full body-heart-mind-soul sensational process. And ultimately? You will be describing something that cannot be seen but is steeping in your body somewhere. It may be “invisible to the eye” and without words, that needs patience as you coax the small furry blob of inarticulate form of an idea to show up on the page in writing.
Sometimes, in moments of confusion, puzzlement or dismay, I start by writing the words:
There are no words. I don’t know what to write. This is really just too big, too crazy, too confusing.
I am at a loss to describe whatever, and the trick is to keep writing. When words are stuck like a wet fur ball in your throat, keep writing. With time and practise, ideas, thoughts, words start to appear on the page all wet and disorganized, a series of words tangled up in the process of becoming. Be patient. Stick with the practise by crossing out and looking for a better word, and the ugly furry thing may emerge as the lovely swan it is trying to be. Or leave it wet and ugly and come back another day.
Beginning to write is a start to the practise. There are days when your silly, wild, unbelievably crazy ideas arrive as half-baked, disorganized, contradictory and incoherent. Lucky you! Writing in the privacy of your journal is also a practice and ritual that offers you a chance to become your own best confidante, jokester and with time, you become your own best wise, old friend.
If your writing is to become a piece for sharing, it will need some revising, pruning and polishing. Getting to the true heart of the matter and writing in a more credible voice, comes later.
I am a staunch advocate for the art of developing your personal writing practice (a ritual, a noun) with a pen, on a piece of paper, in the privacy of your thoughts. That said, writing takes practise (an action, a verb).
Writing is a habit, a process and an action, that connects the thoughts in your mind, to the blood in your veins, to the nerves and muscles in your hand, no matter which way the pendulum or hormones are swirling in the soup of your soul. If you are interested in working with me, please get in touch.
