“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.”
Christina Baldwin
By now, I hope I’ve convinced you to crank up your curiosity a notch or two. If so, you’re taking a few minutes here and there each day to get quiet and ask yourself some simple questions, questions like:
- What would I like to be doing right now at this very instant?
- What am I curious about?
- What do I want to know?
- What mysteries do I want to solve?
You didn’t necessarily have to come up with answers. You were just wondering.
And, if I did my job, you went out and got yourself a notebook, nothing too fancy or pretty, but the kind of notebook in which you can scribble and doodle and screw up. In other words, a dirty, ugly notebook.
Keep Your Thoughts Wherever You Like
But even if I’ve failed to persuade you to do either of these things, it’s okay. You can start asking questions anytime you like, and a notebook isn’t really a requirement.
You can record your thoughts on sheets of loose-leaf paper, post-it notes, index cards, or napkins and toss them into a shoebox if you like. You can capture your thoughts on your computer or on a digital recorder. You can even leave yourself messages on your voice mail or answering machine. It’s up to you.
The To-Chew List: A To-List for Your Curiosity
In any event, the thing I’d like you to today (or as soon as you can) is really rather simple. I’d like you to take the first two ways to lead a life of quiet inspiration, being curious and collecting your thoughts, and bring them together. And to do that, I’m going to ask you to create what I call a To-Chew List.
Rather you love them or hate them, I know you’ve heard of to-do lists and I’m guessing you’ve made a few. Dutifully, you sat down and made a list of the things you need to get done or want to get done, the idea being that you could review the list and check off the items as you completed them one by one.
A To-Chew List is similar, but different in an enjoyable way. Whereas a to-do list is like a chore list, a To-Chew List is more like an explore list. It’s a list of everything you’re curious about.
Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Write Down
To create one, you simply write down all the things you can think of that are puzzling, intriguing, or interesting to you. Things you want to know about yourself. Things you want to know how to do. Questions you’d like to answer. Problems you’d like to solve.
The best way I know to explain it is to provide you with a list of examples. Here are just a few:
- What are my greatest strengths?
- Where would I begin if wanted to learn how to ________ ?
- How do people _________ ?
- What would happen if I __________?
- What do I really believe?
- What’s working in my life?
- What isn’t?
- What would I like to have more of? less of? the same amount of?
- What rules am I living by? Whose rules are they?
- What would drive me crazy if I never tried it?
- What changes would I like to make in my life?
- What are the most important things to do/learn/accomplish in order to ________?
- Where can I find information about _________?
- What could I do without? What could I never do without?
I could go on. So can you. It’s your list. The items you place on it will be the questions that repeatedly pop in and out of your mind, the things that hound and pester you, the things that gently whisper to you.
Here’s One to Hang Onto
I told you that you didn’t have to keep the things you write in your notebook, but I’d suggest you hold onto this one, or at least frequently recreate it. Hang it on the wall. Keep it in your billfold or purse. Make copies of it. Look at it often and let it all soak in. Let the questions and mysteries wash over you and slowly sink into you. Let them become a part of you.
When you do this, you’re honoring your own questions. You’re giving them the attention they deserve and taking them seriously in a playful sort of way.
Eventually, you’ll be moved to do more than just think about these things. One day, you’ll find yourself rising up and seeking answers. The need to know will be too strong to ignore.
Lay a Foundation
I told you that curiosity is the cornerstone of creativity. A cornerstone is defined as the the essential part; as the foundation. With your To-Chew List, you’re laying the foundation for a life of quiet inspiration and making preparations for your own creative journey. Make your list and check it often.
Before you can kick your creative journey into full swing, however, you’ll need to lighten your load a bit, which is something we’ll be exploring in a little exercise I call Shedding the Should’s. I hope you’re ready to dump some excess baggage.
Here’s More to Chew
You can chew on these posts by subscribing to them by RSS feed or by Email. It’s a great way to add to your collection of thoughts.
