Saturday, December 13, 2008



I've been neglecting my writing lately - the kind with pen and paper. I've been doing tons of writing at the keyboard, but that is a very different kind of writing.

I moved my writing desk to the east side of my sun porch to make room for the Christmas tree in there to be visible from the street. I also put out these new additions Greg got me for Christmas from Victorian Trading Company. I love that place and I've wanted these for ages. When we were there in October I was looking at them and Greg just got them for me for Christmas.
In addition to the tree in front of the window, I also put my favorite reading chair beside it, positioned so I can see the main Christmas tree in the living room when I'm sitting there. The white tree with the teapot ornaments I showed a few days ago is on the other side of this chair. I can sit there and see all but two of the Christmas trees in the house.



Maybe I should try writing from the chair. It would be different and maybe it would give me a new perspective. I know I need to spend some time with pen and paper. There's a magic you only get with that brain to hand to pen to paper connection.

There was a study I read about a year or so ago that showed that when people do creative writing at the keyboard it activates different parts of the brain than when people do creative writing with pen and paper. I generally do the most creative thinking with pen and paper and then do that actual writing at the keyboard.

It's with pen and paper that I do all of my soul searching. I could have told researchers it involves your brain differently. But, I guess they wanted something a bit more scientific than some woman in Hutchinson Kansas telling them... that whole proof and brain scans and such.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My favorite writing surface: a yellow legal pad. Been doing it this way for more than 20 years, I guess. If the computer is around, I'll use it instead. But for road trips, I scrawl on a legal pad. Tactile. Sensual.

Just as your party is an annual ritual, my annual ritual is to call the Hutch police about 10 pm and complain about noise at your place. No idea whether it's true, since I'm one state over. But I enjoy the idea of the cops hustling everyone outside into the freezing weather. Hope they didn't have to use the nightsticks this year.

Ah, the simple things truly are the most joyous.

Patsy Terrell said...

Fortunately, we had a sherriff's officer here tonight so it wasn't a problem. And... it's not freezing. Yet.

Sure wish you could have come. I think you might have enjoyed yourself, despite the abundance of Christmas things.

I'm glad you're still writing with pen and paper, too. You're exactly right - that tactile, sensual, direct connection is important.