Happy Friday! And happy early Labor Day.
Labor Day is a holiday created in 1822 to celebrate the working person.
Writers don’t have a specific holiday so why not designate Labor Day our day as well? We work harder than almost everyone because writing is a 24-hour a day job whether we’re actually typing or not. We are definitely laborers.
If we agree to designate Monday “Writer’s Day,” how do we celebrate?
Labor Day is celebrated by not celebrating at all – it’s a day of rest, so we writers should rest.
This is hard since we writers never stop working, even when we’re not actually writing, so let’s consider what actually taking a day off would mean.
How can we stop thinking, observing, analyzing and feeling? How do we notprocess every moment as potential fodder for our current or future project?
The answer is surprisingly simple: Focus fully on performing physical activities for a longer period of time than we usually do. Try doing some activities that you enjoy consecutively without stopping to reflex or write.
When you wake up, I suggest meditation first thing. Meditation is surprisingly physical and fifteen minutes will set the stage to bring a strong and clear focus to your day. So how will you celebrate?
For example, I’ll get up and meditate. Then I’m planning to celebrate by taking a long walk in Central Park, followed by a lengthy, slow workout, a long nap, and then meeting friends for a leisurely dinner.
Consider what activities would you choose that would keep you focused in the moment for a whole day? Please share what you come up with.
Here’s to your successful writing,
Professor Marilyn Horowitz
