Befriend Your Bodymind

As writers, there is an abundance of advice on writing we can find from prominent authors; however, realistically sustaining a writing practice means understanding that there is no routine nor regimen that is ‘one size fits all’. Advice is a suggestion, not an order, and I firmly believe that befriending your ability to write begins with befriending your bodymind. Paying attention to it, and writing according to its specific rhythms and needs, not others’. Giving it love. 

In disability justice circles, we often use ‘bodymind’ to refer to the whole self, against a false separation of ‘mind’ and ‘body’. (For example, writers should be the first to understand that a deadline can affect one’s mind in a way that causes the palms to sweat!) Understanding ourselves as a whole being in need of nourishment and encouragement, rather than punishing ourselves for not being on others’ writing schedule, is so important. 

If you read a beloved writer’s advice to write first thing in the morning, for instance, as the early hours find you struggling with the school run and/or illness, and/or a work schedule that simply won’t allow this, do not despair. If another writer says to write 1,000 words a day, do not feel failure when you cannot. 

Personally, I don’t know a single writer that hasn’t faced rejection and missed deadlines, and I think that we tend to berate ourselves for simply being human and experiencing what every writer does. The truth is, every person and every work of art operates on its own schedule. If you are committed to a project, you’ll see it through. And it’s okay to change course. 

While youth is wonderful, so is the wisdom and accumulated know-how of getting older—being on your own schedule and being kind to your bodymind involves knowing it can produce wonderful, necessary work at any age. This is a marathon, not a race. 

Speak kindly to yourself. Take care of yourself. These may seem like hollow platitudes, but in my experience, they are absolute fundamentals to writing life. Start there. Speak to yourself as you would a beloved friend; the ‘tortured artist’ trope is not our ideal—we want thriving writers who are cared for by others, and by themselves.