When considering any kind of change or incorporating a new practice into your life, whether it is writing for bliss, writing for therapy, or writing for transformation, I like to mention what Zen master Shunryu Suziki referred to in his book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (1976), as maintaining the sensibility of the “beginner’s mind.” The idea is that the beginner’s mind tends to be open to many possibilities, unlike the expert’s mind, which only sees few. Remaining open-minded and available for new ideas is important, in the same way that we might witness in young children, who are like sponges for learning. Having a beginner’s mind is also about suspending your disbelief and going with the flow of your experience.
Hopefully, when you have made the decision to engage in personal writing you’ve given yourself permission to take yourself on a voyage of self-discovery. This entails reviewing your life with a child’s curiosity, awe, and simplicity. In so doing, there is a good chance that significant revelations will begin emerging from your subconscious mind. Writing with the magic mindset of a child can be a fun and poignant way to write and to unleash deep, dark, and surprising secrets.
The art of writing for change is about setting out on a journey. Imagine yourself packing to visit a new land—one you’ve never visited before or one you have not visited in a long time. Be alert and mindful of the details of your landscape. Document them in your journal or on your computer. Don’t worry about the direction of your musings; for the moment, simply accumulate them. You can decide later whether your writing will be for you alone, for prosperity, or for public sharing. – says Diana Raab
In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Diana, the author of WRITING FOR BLISS: A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life.Diana Raab, MFA, PhD, is a memoirist, poet, blogger, speaker, and award-winning author of nine books. Her work has been published and anthologized in over 1000 publications. She frequently speaks on writing for healing and transformation. She’s been writing since the age of ten when her mother gave her a Khalil Gibran journal to help her cope with her grandmother’s suicide. At that early age, she realized that writing made her feel better and helped her heal from life’s challenges. She says that she’s spiritual but not religious. She views writing as her spiritual practice and she writes every day.
Raab blogs for Psychology Today, PsychCentral, and Thrive Global, and is a guest blogger for many others. She’s editor of two anthologies: Writers and Their Notebooks and Writers on the Edge; two memoirs: Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal and Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey, and four poetry collections, including Lust. Her latest books are Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Program for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life and Writing for Bliss: A Companion Book.
To learn more about Diana Raab please visit her website: https://dianaraab.com/
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Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast
** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.
