outsider reading

A big thing I’ve been encouraging others to do lately is to cultivate a practice of “witnessing” their own voice. This could be in the form of writing, or voice journalling, vocalizing or even art journalling… creating scribbles or really any expressive outlet that allows the ideas to “flow” without engaging the frontal lobe all that much.

Freewriting and voice journalling have been the ones that have worked best for me… and here’s the process:

I take a pen, put it to paper, and I allow it to capture whatever thoughts are coming up, without breaks, without edits, without stopping to think… there is no “composition” happening… only a stream of consciousness that is being revealed in a tangible format.

Voice memos are similar but different. One of my favourite ways to pass time with myself is to make a coffee, sit in a comfy spot (or an inspiringly beautiful location), and press record on my voice memos. From there, I hang out with myself. I talk to myself. I allow for space, and silence. I allow for interrupted thoughts, for fragmented thoughts, for uninteresting thoughts, for abstract and seemingly nonsense thoughts… all is welcome in the moment I’m sharing with myself. The point is to allow for pure flow, uninhibited expression… it’s a non-judgemental embrace for myself. It’s a practice of being with myself.

It’s a practice of enjoying my own company.

So that’s what I’m doing here, too. And you are a witness, just as much as I am. Today, one of my great mentors and friends, Jaclyn Piudik had suggested I read my own writing as if it wasn’t my own. I haven’t done it yet… but I’m going to start with this piece. I’m going to go make myself a coffee, sit out in my beautiful yard and take a moment to be in the moment. I’ve been learning so much to do less, and not more. All of that beautiful space is giving me the grace I’ve been searching desperately for by doing. Even though I know better! Later today, I’m going to practice reading these words as if someone else wrote them. I will report back.

I still have to mow my lawn, fold the laundry, prep for my classes tomorrow and pack for my journey the next day. There is lots to do, and my daughter will be home in 40 minutes from now… but the best way to show up for myself, and for those around me is to be grounded in who I am, and that, I can do by witnessing who I am. And that gives me the wisdom I need to show up with all the authenticity, all the beauty that I’ve been given to share.