There's a recent buzz about writing for catharsis, expression, and ultimately healing. In the local writing class
Val attends, instructor Deb Norton uses "free writing" as one of her tools. Her students write without editing for a set number of minutes and then read it aloud to get feedback from the class. I'll bet the students are shedding rules and crystallizations left and right. What a great exercise for getting free!
Thanks to David Allen, I came across
this article on the value of "expressive writing". Researchers describe the health benefits of writing down significant and upsetting events before bedtime. Not surprisingly, participants in the study got a better night's sleep after the therapeutic act. It's wonderful to hear some scientific support for a practice I already do.
I've known about "free-form writing" for years, but it's only in the last three months that I've made it a steady routine. I have to say up front that it's not always fun for me. Uncomfortable emotions can come up when I'm free-form writing. However, the more I go for it and am willing to let go, the more value I receive. I usually feel a deep peace by the time I'm ready to toss my writing into the fireplace. As I watch the paper transform from crisp white pages to oranges, yellows, blues, and finally soft grey ash, I too am transformed by my willingness to express and move on. I think of the phoenix with a smile.
How to do free-form writing: