Someone said to me the other day that they’d like my business because I spend hours staring into space.
Hmm. I’m not so sure about hours, but I certainly do spend time staring into space.
When I’m thinking, I’m writing
Staring into space is as much part of the writing process as typing. Letting your thoughts roam free is a great way to develop ideas and themes, while just letting stuff bobble around is possibly the easiest way of all to solve problems in a piece you’re working on.
When I’m staring into space, it’s almost like having a bunch of building bricks or tiles. These are the ideas in the piece I’m writing. My thoughts toss them around until they click into place, resulting in order rather than a jumble.
If you’ve worked with me, you’re probably used to me wandering around the workplace, too. It’s all part of the thinking process.
With my thoughts in order, it’s a straightforward task to write the piece, with a picture – or at least a feeling of certainty – of what it will look like when finished.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Michelangelo
For me, thinking is writing, just as much as writing is thinking.
Now you can crash it out
If you have your thoughts in order, you can often crash the piece straight out. Maybe in just a few minutes. Maybe this is where that strange notion of it only taking a few minutes to produce a blog post came from?
But those few minutes are your typing time, not your writing time. Don’t forget thinking time. And don’t feel guilty about your investment in thinking, no matter what others may say.
What are your thoughts about thinking and writing?
Thanks to Dushan and Miae for letting me use their image.