Photo by Freewine

About three weeks ago now, I posted a challenge to myself: the intention was to write in a particular style of freewriting called “object writing” every day for six weeks. My strategy in making this vow publicly was to help me remember, and to help keep myself on track.

So I’m about twenty days into this experiment, and… well… I haven’t quite been getting to it every day. While I’ve been writing something every day, I’ve only been freewriting about once every four days.

Why I’m Trying Again

A quick word for the uninitiated: object writing is writing from the senses in a flowing, uninhibited, nonstop, anything-that-comes-to-mind steam-of-consciousness. The intention is to focus on things that you can smell, see, hear, touch, taste, and sense within your body (like the slight lurch as a really fast elevator starts moving). It’s a good idea to choose a “keyword” to kick-start your brain and possibly keep the writing clustered around a general theme.

Object writing isn’t just about brainstorming ideas for songs—though it often has that pleasant side effect. It’s actually worth doing for its own sake. It pulls out lots of memories, phrases, and ideas, and sometimes even makes you feel like you’re reliving a certain place or event in vivid detail. If you get really amazing at it, it becomes almost like flushing out a certain network of channels in your own mind using warm water. If you shed all your inhibitions and write wildly around a certain topic, you’re not going to believe what’s been stuck in there, just waiting to be rinsed out.

Object writing clears my mind, starts my imagination, and gives me a greater appreciation for pure sensory experience. It gives me a more observant, meditative, and contented angle on my life.

Can You Find it in Your Heart to Kick Me in the Seat of the Pants?

This time I’m going to be a little firmer with myself, making posters to put up around the house and putting a reminder on my computer desktop. If you’d like to further reinforce my desired new habit, just leave a comment, drop an e-mail, and ask how it’s all going! I’m going to be writing for six weeks. Drop me a line and save me from myself! Better yet, take the challenge yourself (it’ll take just 5-10 minutes every day). I’ll certainly return the favor.

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Nicholas Tozier is an independent singer, songwriter, private music instructor, blogger, and recording artist centered in Gardiner, Maine. His first album, A Game with Shifting Mirrors, is slated for self-release in Fall 2010.