5 Steps to Deeper Discovery

Today we’re celebrating breaking through the barricades that stop us from deeper self-discovery.

In this year’s theme post I wrote, depth takes time. It isn’t forced or rushed. I am finding that to be the truth.

I had two books, Healing Through Words by Rupi Kaur and How to Write Poetry: A Guided Journal with Prompts by Christopher Salerno & Kelsea Habecker, that I planned to work through, one exercise from each every day. But after the first exercise in Healing Through Words, I could not get myself to do any more. I wasn’t even working on light-forming photography. I was blocked, and getting frustrated.

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Then one morning while looking for depth on my bookshelf, I pulled out The Complete Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and Writing for Self-Discovery by Myra Schneider & John Killick. I have had both of these books for a long time, but I guess I wasn’t ready for them until now.

The first step I took was taking my morning pages seriously. It took a couple days to finally roll out of bed straight to the page, and write three full pages in my journal, but I got there, and it helped focus my day.

The second step was to work with affirmations and blurts. I don’t think I ever really tried it before, not really. The idea is to choose an affirmation—I started with “I, Maria, am a brilliant and prolific poet” from the example in the book—and then write down all the negative thoughts that come into your head. Those are the blurts. I have some mean voices in my head, and they had a lot to say. After writing out my affirmation ten times, and all the mean things my own mind said in response, something inside of me started fighting back against the negativity, and I wrote a few lines defending myself. After that, I was ready to do the exercises I had been avoiding in the other books. The affirmation and blurts at the end of my morning pages broke through the barriers I was putting up to avoid the feelings I was afraid would come up while doing the exercises.

The third step was using positive statements and activities to reward myself. Back in February of 2022, I explored motivation and habit creation. At first I had trouble finding rewards that worked for me, but I found writing nice things to myself actually works. I took those same pieces of folded card stock I wrote on in 2022 and put them in the pockets of my calendar quilt. I pull one out after my morning pages, and each exercise I finish. After one particularly difficult exercise, my reward said, “You are worthy and deserving of success.” Reading it aloud as “I am worthy and deserving of success,” was just the reward I needed. I used “I am worthy and deserving of success” as my affirmation in my morning pages the next day.

The fourth step was to add a little every day. Once the initial block broke, and I was doing my morning pages and exercises each morning, I found that they became easier and easier. I wanted to do the work, and was no longer afraid of my emotional response. I also found that the exercises took less and less time. Each day, I thought about one small thing I could add to my work day. I’ve added another round of The Portable MFA’s poetry section. I’ve added daily light-forming photography. I’ve started submitting poems again, and I’m typing up my poetry drafts. Today, I’m adding writing this blog post, and poetry revision.

The fifth step was to celebrate and take care of myself. I was avoiding doing the exercises in Healing Through Words for a reason. The exercises bring up emotions that I haven’t wanted to feel. But facing my mean blurts helps me realize that this is the work I need to do to get to my Deep Voice (from Method Writing by Jack Grapes), my authentic voice, and deepen my writing and thinking which is the goal of this year’s theme. So when an exercise makes me cry, or feel things that upset me, I give myself time and extra treats. I recognize that I’m doing real work. I make myself a sweet, healthy, and soothing treat like pecan-date balls and a cup of cocoa. I take time for kitty hugs and purrs. I stretch and jump on the mini-trampoline, and/or take a long, hot shower. I don’t think I understood how important self-care was to the process. It’s making a huge difference.

What helps you when you’re feeling blocked?

Have you noticed depth, deep, or deepen coming up in your reading, watching, or listening? I sure have. Help celebrate going deeper by sharing your depth quotes in the chat.

Here’s one to get us started:

“By allowing ourselves to associate freely—that is to put down the first words that come into our heads, then to write down whatever these make us think of and to keep following the train of thought wherever it takes us—our deepest ideas and feelings begin to surface.” ~from Writing for Self-Discovery by Myra Schneider & John Killick