Would you like to moodle?
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I stole the term from writing guru Brenda Ueland, who recommended moodling in her book If You Want To Write. She wasn't talking about cows, but rather a relaxing path to the creative process. Because I grew up on a farm, cows seem like brilliant moodlers, to me.
Call it moodling or call it relaxation, call it Moo of Writing or meditation; they all encourage creativity. Moodle often enough, and you could pump out novels, poems, and stories like a laid-back dairy cow in the pasture chewing her cud and producing liters of milk.
Light bulb inventor Thomas Edison, who held 1,093 patents, never heard the term, but he moodled, nonetheless. The story goes that he would sit in a chair, his hands extending beyond the chair arms. Each hand held a ball bearing, and two pie plates sat under them on the floor. When he relaxed, his hands opened, and the ball bearings clanked onto the plates. He instantly jotted down the thoughts that came to him during his relaxed state.
The guy valued moodling.
Writers inviting inspiration might not want to hang out holding onto ball bearings, but how about jotting down thoughts after a warm shower? Or just after your alarm has jangled you awake but you're truly still half asleep? Or if a wailing baby wakes you, how about recording your thoughts via an audio recorder during feedings?
Ueland's best ideas popped into her head at the end of long walks. She liked to let should-do tasks slide to steal time for playing the piano. What might work for you?
When I teach Moo of Writing classes, everyone brings a rug or yoga mat, and we spend the first 15 minutes of class doing a simple yoga routine followed by five minutes of deep breathing and relaxation. When we finish, we sit down and write whatever comes into our heads.
How do you like to relax?
Whether you swim laps, day dream, do yoga, take long walks, strum a guitar, work out at the gym, soak in a warm bath after a day's work, putter about the house listening to music, or whatever, consider trying your hand at creative writing when you feel calm.
My most important writing tool sits in front of a window overlooking two fir trees and the bird feeders in our back yard. It's my "ruminating rocker," a rocking chair with simple lines made of cherry with a burgundy woven seat, a long-ago birthday present from my husband.
When my yellow Lab Jack and I return from our morning walk, I savor a cuppa and sit, keeping my journal and laptop nearby. I rock-breathe-moodle, and sure enough—after a time, words begin to appear on the page.
Worth a try?
Happy writing!
Nan Lundeen
http://www.mooingaround.com/
http://www.nanlundeen.com/
Nan Lundeen's book of poems, The Pantyhose Declarations, is available at www.amazon.com. She is seeking a publisher for her handbook, The Moo of Writing: How To Milk Your Potential.
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