How to write as a path for transformation. A Happy Hour Conversation with Mark Matousek

This week's show is with Mark Matousek is the author of two acclaimed memoirs, Sex Death Enlightenment: A True Story (an international bestseller) and The Boy He Left Behind: A Man's Search For His Lost Father, as well as When You're Falling, Dive: Lessons in the Art of Living, and Ethical Wisdom: The Search for a Moral Life. A former editor at Interview Magazine, he is a featured blogger for PsychologyToday.com and the Huffington Post, and has contributed to numerous anthologies and publications, including The New Yorker, O: The Oprah Magazine (contributing editor), Harper’s Bazaar, Yoga Journal, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and The Saturday Evening Post.

A popular speaker and teacher, he offers courses in creativity and spiritual growth in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe, based on his book, Writing To Awaken: A Journey of Truth, Transformation, and Self-Discovery. A founding member of V-Men (with Eve Ensler), an organization devoted to ending violence against women and girls, he lives and works East Hampton, New York.

His most recent book is Mother of the Unseen World: The Mystery of Mother Meera (Random House).

In this conversation, Mark and I explored the topic of writing for self enquiry. Mark teaches a method of using writing as a path for transformation, we delved into how and why it works and then Mark gave some practical suggestions to get you, the listener started. I found this an incredibly insightful episode and I've personally adopted Mark's method since recording the show. The changes I've noticed in that short times have been unbelievable - more awareness of my shadows and surprisingly to me, more freedom to write and share my truth publicly too.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below. What you'll learn from this episode:

Writing as self enquiry works because it gives us distance and perspective on our thoughts, just like any forms of self enquiry, it's just easier to see something when it's out of your mind and written down.

Don't write for an audience, don't worry about perfection, or grammar. Just write to the question, for yourself. Give yourself permission not to do anything with your answers that come up in the writing. The practice is about asking and answering the questions, not necessarily taking action.

Write every day, for around 15 mins and then review a day or two later. Don't edit unless it's to deepen on something. Ask the questions that matter most to you.

Here's a couple that Mark mentioned on the show: Take five minutes to write about a story you tell yourself on a regular basis that you know isn't true. Take five minutes to write about what you would do if you were free (whatever freedom means to you).