The Art of Writing 1 - The fingers, the forearms and hands

The series of lessons this blog post refers to explore writing but It’s not just about organising your thoughts into written form.

It’s more concerned with the process of creation whether you’re using a pen, a camera, a musical instrument or a shovel. We explore the use of the arms and hands and the way the things we do influence the shape and quality of life.

Do we bring things into existence or do we capture things that are already there?

Evgeni Tcherkasski via UnSpalsh

Perhaps more importantly why do we do what we do and what happens as we do it? 

The act of creation in our culture is fraught with so many layers of challenge. One of them is grasping after illusions. Here is one telling experience -

At the beginning of last term I was preparing a class. It was past midnight and I was lying on my rather luxurious mat. My mind was sparkling! It was the realisation of blood flowing within me that carried the sound of my heart .. I wanted to write -

‘I am a resonant structure of tube bound fluid!’ 

But I couldn’t as I was rolling from side to side revelling in the organisation of my body as two spiral tubes that extended from opposite hand to foot. It was ecstatic. I could stop and move in any direction .. I was turning my hands, feet and head to steer .. It was so lovely!

That was what the class would be that week! 

I wanted to write -

‘The width of the double spiral at the hands, feet and head .. How they twist and combine to blend in a possibility of movement .. in the arc of every direction’

So I rolled over to my pages, put on my glasses and picked up the pen. It was pretty dark with all the atmospheric lighting & music. So I peered at the thing I wrote about fifteen minutes before .. and lost my thread.

What was I going to write? ..

Ok .. I went back to the floor to rekindle the experience .. What was I doing? ..

Marek Piwnicki via UnSplash

Oh yes! .. I began to roll and slowly remembered. Not quite the same but enough to get it down. 

I rolled over to the paper and began to write .. desperately .. as if at any moment it could disappear .. My shoulders were hunched .. My eyes and hands were tensed and the lines I cobbled together was a sketch of the experience .. but it was enough. I had the kernel of the idea for the week 2 lesson. 

Well .. we didn’t quite get there in that lesson. It took a while for the ideas to filter through.

But really .. did I need to be that desperate as I wrote it down? The disturbing thing has been to realise how often that desperation is there. It’s embodied in the organisation of my arms and hands - as if I’m trying to hold onto sand.

No wonder the guitar is a challenge. So in this first session we’ll be exploring the way we open our hand. Perhaps to receive and give .. Perhaps to let go of the things we do not need.

I can’t imagine Zhang Zhi grasping as he wrote this .. Consider the stillness & clarity ..

So the challenge in this series of lessons is - 

Can you write or play an instrument or do anything in a way that enables you to directly channel those moments of inspiration without the filters of anxiety or expectation?

Xandtor vias UnSplash

Does it have something to do with our expectations? or perhaps our motivation? 

I took a close look at the anatomy of our hands and arms for this series and we considered a number of perspectives. The opportunity in the lesson this blog is a preamble for is to keep softening - particularly in your head, neck and shoulders.

I’ll leave you with a question -

How do you create yourself? 

With love

David

PS This blog post is a preamble to the lesson of the same name you’ll find on my online lessons page https://www.bodylogic.net.au/lessons/thefingersforearmandhand