Resting, pausing, and creating
some writing (& creating) tools, when finding time & space is challenging
If December is a time to slow down and change gear, you might also be thinking of a change in priorities. A time for reflection and rest. If December isn’t offering space or scope to slow down, I’ve included some invitations to do so here.
If you have time off over the holiday season, you might be picking up creative projects sometime forgotten, or things you’ve been meaning to start. A time for hibernation and keeping warm, space to dwell in words and creativity can bring a different kind of pausing and reflecting.
If you haven’t before tried, or not for a while, starting to write Morning Pages can bring a new writing and reflecting space. This is a daily writing routine (or as regularly as you choose and are able), of writing whatever is in your head when you wake up. Some people use a three page rule, of filling notebooks, others a set time period (5 minutes, 15, 30), choose as suits your own needs and just keep writing. A stream of consciousness, it’s for no one else but you. You can of course do this with voice recording, typing, or handwriting, whatever is most accessible. It is entirely reasonable to do this at any time of the day, but to have a routine of some kind can be useful for some. To get everything out of your head before you start your day can have its own value, either to clear the clutter or to harness that in between place of dreaming and waking, of creativity and imagination.
Morning Pages was written about by Julia Cameron in her book The Artists’ Way, and there are now many versions of this book that you might want to look at alongside this. It’s a book with a detailed programme of different tools and practises that can nurture your creativity. If you want to listen to Julia Cameron talk about Morning Pages, she is in conversation with Fearne Cotton on this link.
Maybe you have new plans for the year ahead, of writing and making, and are looking for ways to support you to do this? CRIPtic Arts are a brilliant organisation, led by Moving Mountains contributor, Jamie Hale. You can find free and accessible online events and workshops on this link. Regular sessions are led by fabulous creatives from all kinds of interdisciplinary practice, and with additional supports to make them accessible, they are a wonderful organisation to start with, and return to.
If you want a supportive online space to share with other writers who are simply getting on with their own work in silent companionship, I find London Salon Writers Hour really valuable, especially if I’m stalling on something. You can sign up to as many hourly pockets of writing time each day and week as you choose (8am Monday to Friday UK, New York, Los Angeles, and Melbourne, Australia/Washington, New Zealand, and 9am UK on Saturdays). They send useful nudges with a zoom link 15 minutes before each session you’re signed up to, with a daily quote that starts the writing time emailed afterwards too. These are also free to join.
If you are looking for writerly things to enjoy as you plan ahead into the new year (and with one more session this year running next week), Moving Mountains contributor
’s Wild Women Salon’s are set to continue (hurray!). These are a chance to hear writers talking about their work on a regular basis, food for the soul. All sessions are online and are pay what you can.For drifting and pausing, online spaces to dwell in the natural world, of awe and wonder, are also great to find. A new one (to me) is the Coral City Camera, an underwater webcam streaming live from an urban coral reef in Miami, Florida. The CCC is a public art and scientific research project. You can also listen to music which includes the sounds of the coral reef on their Soundcloud account, also on the website.
Another underwater webcam, with sound, is in the Cayman Islands. Part of the project EXPLORE, the largest live nature webcam network on the planet, this one is set at a fish ‘cleaner station’, where smaller fish will clean bigger fish of parasites, for instance, that might otherwise lead to infection. Worth waiting for! If webcams are not appearing to show a picture do check on the time difference, as it might be night time, but there will likely be footage elsewhere or saved highlights to view.
If soft jazz is your thing, you can follow time lapse footage and webcams from around the world with musical background on this link for Armchair Travel, alternatively you can watch on mute.
If all you want is sound, Radio Lento have a fantastic catalogue of field recordings they’ve collected across the UK. From harbours and coastal spots, to marshlands and woodland, you will find something to inspire, relax, or distract you. This episode is one I’ve bookmarked as it records a place I am investigating as part of my PhD on the Romney Marshes. Edgeland Time by the Sound Mirror at Hythe is also marked as ‘sleep safe’, so won’t include any sudden noises or changes in volume.
If you are interested in sound, and creating your own music, Moving Mountains contributor, Isobel Anderson founded the fantastic Girls Twiddling Knobs. Over the summer she has been running field recording workshops with heaps of advice for people wanting to collect sounds from the world around them. She is currently offering her Home Recording Academy course for women who want to make their own music, which starts in the new year. You can also sign up to workshops to get you started using GarageBand to make high quality recordings with minimal equipment, at home.
If you write and have caring responsibilities, take a look at the forthcoming Curae Prize, run by Anna Vaught, it opens for submissions on the 1st of January, 2025. Moving Mountains contributor, Feline Charpentier, was shortlisted for this years’ inaugural Prize and her work was published in the resulting anthology. Feline also has a new piece of work published with Apricot Press, Invisible Spiders, you can read here.
I hope that gives you some new things to try, or prods at that long forgotten project you have been waiting to get back to. This is your excuse/permission/whatever it is you need to stop and rest.
Have a great weekend!
Nice ideas!! Nature webcams are great; I didn't know these ones. I did know about morning pages but never write in the morning even though I specifically struggle with random rushing thoughts when waking up - thanks for reminding me to try!
My current posts are about establishing calming habits for December too :)