Session 4 Recap
- We talked a lot about difficult emotions in previous sessions…
- …and writing is about invoking beautiful emotions too!
- The Buddha used the word Kalyāṇa to describe qualities that are conducive to spiritual awakening—it means beautiful! The idea is that instead of thinking good/bad yes/no success/failure, we can think in terms of beauty. Beautify is a subjective and supportive quality.
- We went through a brief guided meditation invoking encouragement for ourselves and each other.
- Attendees noted that it is challenging to “receive” encouragement for themselves compared to giving.
- One supportive skill we can practice is to turn the encouragement we give to others to ourselves first.
- You are all fantastic storytellers. Often the question is…how can we let the stories flow out of you?
- Consider optionality to accommodate available energy levels, courage (vulnerability), and aspiration (function/goals.)
- Here’s an example from my life…note that the newsletter is what I consistently publish on Sundays, and the rest vary depending on…these variables!
Exercise
Access Your Own Writer’s Workflow Sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14Rf-bf4meZ_hyDnCim-WR_hlC9xwHneUCfhABvocDAw/copy?usp=sharing Column A: Jot down all the places you currently write + can potentially write in the future Column B: How much energy does it take for you to write in these places? Can you accommodate both low and high available energies? Column C: Do you have places that account for both low and high vulnerability stories? Column D: Do you have places to meet all your goals? They can also change over time ⏲️ You have 3 minutes…
Breakout Room 🗣️ 3 people, ~4 min each (12 min total) ✅ Introduce yourself + say “I am a writer.” Reply ”you are a writer” to the person introducing themselves ✅ Which area (energy, courage, aspiration) do you need more options? ✅ Brainstorm with each other for options
Group Discussion
✋ Any ideas/questions to share with us about workflows?
Key Learning
Give yourself a variety of places to write (in terms of energy required, vulnerability levels, and aspiration) so you will always have a place to share your story.
Important note: You DON’T have to publish in ALL the places you can think of! They are options, not mandates.