WRITING PROMPTS FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE
A Creative Writing Practice
Transformational change arises through a blend of conscious awareness, unconscious (or subconscious) shifts, and somatic changes in how the body holds itself in learned patterns of breath and energy.
It's important to remember that we are never static. As human beings, we are of movement and of flow. We need the in breath and the out breath, we need free-flowing of expression of all the colours and textures that we are, and it's important for our health and wellbeing to get to know and to befriend all of this. A writing practice can be such a beneficial way to dive in. And the best bit is that you don't have to be good at it at all. The intention is only ever about flow. and the practice, so much about getting out of your own way.
We tend to learn from a young age that only certain feelings and experiences are desired by the world around us, and over time, we can begin to shut down certain aspects of our personality. This is entirely normal, but also not ideal. Over time, we can begin to clamp down our breath, restrict our range of expression and somewhat lose our connection to our true state of being and feeling. And by adulthood, it is the norm to censor our personal stories and tell only the ones that match who we think we should be, finding that our careers, relationships and parenting are filtered through this restricted lens. Then, when things get icky somehow, we start to feel all of this as constriction, depression, pain, and stresses of various kinds, and then wonder why life isn't working as we want it to be.
People often find that as the belt gets tighter and tighter life-force and inspiration falter; decision making becomes increasingly compromised, your personal relationships suffer, health becomes affected, sleep patterns become less than healthy and in many other ways your body and mind begins to operate in a less than optimal way.
My clients all share one thing in common that they often don't realise:- they are tripped up by trying to push away, or or negate certain aspects of their life experience. As a trusted coach and therapist, I am privileged to see the overview on how exquisitely beautiful each of those lives are, in all of their colours and with whatever is going on emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. We do our best with what we know, and when we can know different - that to release and allow so much more of who we are is possible, so much more flow, love and appreciation and what can seem like miracles begin to happen. If you're interested in working with me on anything that comes up for you here just send me a note via my contact page and book a free introductory session.
Writing Practice as a Tool
Writing can be a wonderful way to begin to know oneself and create more of this movement and flow. We can do this by journalling whatever is going on for us - by noting the content of our lives - and by using specific writing prompts and exercises that delve into unconscious and hidden realms of our psyche. If you happen to be working directly with me, it can create a deeper shift to take what you are exploring into your sessions with me to delve into more understanding and release and freeing some of the more tightly held patterns with someone who is well trained to help.
Transformation Lives within the Beautiful and the Mundane
Writing is a powerful and transformational practice. You can play and express and allow your pen to take you to all kinds of places. Sometimes it can feel freeing, sometimes enlightening, sometimes you may feel long forgotten things and all sorts of other experiences will occur for you. To write is to allow the inside out and to take so much more notice of all of the colours and textures of this world that we live in. It can be beautiful and mundane. Happy and sad. It is all the experiences. Below I outline a few different ways you can play with this and create a writing practice that works for you.
​​Writing Prompts for Change and Transformation​
Below are some helpful prompts to get you going on another form of writing: therapeutic exploration. Once again, this doesn't have to be 'right' or 'good', just allow it to flow. Set a timer for 10 minutes and don't stop writing no matter what. If you get stuck for a moment just return to the prompt phrase. Don't engage your thinking mind here, it is your unconscious mind that you want to bring to the fore and this comes from a place of flow.After you can look for any patterns and allow any insights to come. Note them down too - perhaps through the day.And if you want to explore anything more fully then please do get in touch. Should you wish to you can book a session via my contact page here.
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Journalling
At a time when you can take some space for yourself, take a beloved notebook and pen, open it at a fresh page and spend 10 minutes writing. It doesn't matter what you write about just put the pen to paper and let the words flow.
What are you thinking, feeling, worried about, happy about, what questions do you have, what answers come?
Just don't stop. Let the pen move for 10 minutes without being still.
This doesn't have to be 'good'. No one needs to ever see it. Think of it as emptying out a full cup.
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Exploring a Particular Emotion, Feeling or Experience.​
It can be helpful to pick a feeling, or an experience and use that as a starting point to dive in. For example, if you want to work with anger you could use the prompts below (and just adapt the word 'anger or angry to whatever is live for you today):
Angry/anger is...
And it feels/looks/sounds like...
I know I am angry when...
When I experience anger I...
When I am angry, my body feels...
I know I am no longer angry when...
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The opposite of anger is... (x - see note below)
Dear (your name) I am your anger and I want you to know... (this can be quite long-form. Write a letter from your feeling.
What 'x' wants me to know...
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Investigating Dreams and Desires
Longing
I long for... and... and...
Because...
And that means...
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Writing Feelings and Sensations​
All the words I know for feelings and sensations.
​Write down all the descriptive words you know for feelings and emotions, what they feel like to you and where they live in your body. No need to be rigid in this as they will change and morph even as you are writing them - and this is the point!
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I Remember
(I offer this exercise with thanks to the great writing teacher Natalie Goldberg)
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Sometimes we want to open our memory bank in order to understand an experience more fully and to reframe difficult things we may have held on to. We may also want to bring more colour and texture to pleasure experiences in order to open up our aperture to good feelings, sensation and life-force. When doing this exercise, please be sensitive to yourself as the point is never to re-traumatise from a difficult time. We do not need to re-live painful experiences in order to become free of the effects of them. For that there are powerful therapeutic interventions that can be used which I'm happy to talk to you about.
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This exercise is designed to allow a greater range of connection to who you are, the life you are living, and to experience a greater sense of aliveness in your whole being. ​Keep your pen moving for at least 10 minutes. If you become stuck, just write 'I remember...' again.
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I remember... (write this over and over)
e.g. 'I remember eating a peach and the juice spilling down my arm and under the scratchy wool of my jumper's sleeve'
'I remember being very small and kneading dough whilst standing on a stool. The kitchen walls a sunflower yellow and the sun bright and dazzling through the open window.'
'I remember the smell of my mother's hair when it had just been washed and now I'm thinking of that I can also remember...'
'I remember being shouted at in the doorway to my living room and I don't remember why, but I can remember feeling...'
I remember the colour of my morning coffee - brown against a sage green coffee cup and saucer and the sound of the spoon meeting the stone table underneath. I remember as I saw this that...'
'I remember waking in the morning to the sound of the Pacific ocean crashing underneath the bedroom where I lay and the warmth of the sun sneaking through white curtains and falling across the face of my love.'
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Open your senses. Allow life in. And explore where your creative mind wants to take you.
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Beliefs
If I had unlimited belief in myself and the world I would...
​(Things you would ask for, do say, think, believe, change.)
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i.e.
If I had unlimited belief in myself and the world, I would be more grateful for...
If I had unlimited belief in myself and the world, I would celebrate this...
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Dive into a deep exploration of all the things, ideas and actions that would be different if you had that belief firmly within your grasp. ​
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Gratitudes
Today I am celebrating myself for...
(whatever is going on for you today, find three celebrations of yourself. They can be anything at all, but go big and celebrate and thank yourself in the most loving way you know how.
Do Share Your Experience
If you try any of these exercises, do let me know what comes up for you. What you love, what you perhaps found difficult, what questions arise.
If you're a seasoned writer, I'd also love to hear of your favourite writing prompts and exercises. How do you write and how does it already inform your life? ​
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You can send me a note via my contact page here. I'll look forward to connecting.
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Warm wishes and love,
Kirsty
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