Freeing the writer

Mind over matter

/ Samantha Jayasuriya / 2 Comments

I wrote this in a short burst in my writing group time in 2018. Now as I train to be a somatic coach, I recognise the beginnings of focusing and looking inwards. In the chapter – Writing as a practice, Goldberg talks about the need to practice whether you want to or not.

I’m taking this to heart and have built in a half an hour each day to write.

Only writing is writing.

Skandinavisk candle – Koto An old Finnish word for ‘home’.

Mind over matter

So many parts of me, all connected by sinew, tendon, cartilage, nerves and more. I ignore my body until it starts to hurt when it puts on the brakes and calls me out. Stop, stop, stop – a pounding migraine in my head, the throbbing pain in my neck and the sharp stabbing pain in my knee. Up until the pain arrives, I feel like I am invincible, bounding through time and space. Moving this way and that, tramping footpath, field and verge. I am oblivious to the stresses and strains I place on the tendons, nerves, cartilage and more. 

As the red lights flash, I know the time has come to stop, take stock and be aware of the parts of me which make me whole. To get back to green, I use my mind. 

It is a quiet pause in the day to slow down my breath, and be aware of everything around me – a chance to still my thoughts and focus on the senses which help navigate the days and nights. 

My sight moves into the foreground, focussing on my palms, noticing the lines on the creases in my fingers, the curve of my nail and the joints in my hands.  

My ears tune out the immediate sounds all around, hearing once again in the distance the blackbird on the fence as he calls to his mate, urging her to take care.  

The smell of the washing as it hangs on the landing mingles with the fragrance of shower gel and deodorant … the morning smells of get up and go. And the taste of toothpaste in my mouth; the minty freshness which I inhale as I breathe deeply.  

And my sixth sense suddenly switches on. I am aware of the energy surrounding me and in me which is all powerful and awe-inspiring.  

As my body stills and quietens, I begin to listen to the shouts and calls from within. The knots in my shoulder begin to unwind as each breath loosens the tendons, relaxing the clenched muscles which in turn take oxygen to my furrowed brow.  

I  straighten and lengthen my calf, allowing my knee to relax and slip back into a more comfortable easy state. The release of pain cheers my brain and my breath quickens. As I bring myself back into the here and now, I use the sinew, tendon, cartilage, nerves and more and take a step forward into the day.

By Samantha Jayasuriya 

Write until the ideas stop

/ Samantha Jayasuriya / 1 Comment

I added this photo to my insta page today and thought that it also needed to be here.

To remind me just to get on and write.

To write because I enjoy it and to stop worrying about what other people think or like.

One of the challenges of writing for me is letting go of the editing pen. I have to consciously make myself leave it in the box. Sometimes I have to wrestle it out of my hand.

Joining a writing class has helped me lose the editing pen. In timed conditions I can let my mind go and just write.

Now, I am trying to get this as a daily practise and scribbling down half formed ideas that can be fleshed out into fully formed poems or prose at a later stage.

Earlier this week, I started a story that had been rumbling about in my head for months. It will be worked on over the next few months and as the ideas come, I’m just going to get them down.

Today, I’m putting aside an afternoon to write and if the weather is nice, I’m off to a cafe to drink tea, eat cannoli’s and write.

Beginner’s Mind, Pen and Paper

/ Samantha Jayasuriya / Leave a comment

I have read and re-read ‘Writing down the bones,’ many times but have decided to work my way through the book again.

My aim is to revisit the wonderful ideas that Natalie Goldberg offered when she first wrote the book in 1986.

Pen and Paper – the key implements to help a writer capture their thoughts.

I love to write in pen, but choose to use a rollerball parker pen as my ink. The pen I love to use is slightly weighty in my hands. It was a Christmas gift many years ago from my youngest son.

I prefer to write in black ink and use a medium rollerball. I hate the feel of fine pens on paper and much prefer lots of ink to come out, marking the words as they go.

Paper is very much down to what comes to hand. In order for me to be able to capture my thoughts, I mostly use small notebooks. I try not to use my bullet journal, as you can see in the photo. I prefer to use notebooks which are just for creative writing.

The blue scuffed notebook you can see was started in 2017. I wanted to share this with you as my notes whilst talking to my mum have been scribbled inside. These notes were to write her story down. She was keen to tell her tale and I am so glad I asked her when I did as her memories became more fleeting over the years.

Now she has passed away, they are precious, more precious than the objects she may have willed me to have.

In 1986, people may not have had the computers that they have today. Voice recorders definitely existed, but the ease with which we can record on our phones was not accessible to all.

I still prefer to write stories by pen, capturing my ideas on paper. As Natalie writes –

“You want to be able to feel the connection and texture of the pen and paper.”