Taken by: Katy LaFond 1/2013
Lake Dillon Reservoir looking over Rocky Mountains in Dillon, Colorado
A few weeks ago, I went skiing with my mom in Colorado (first time on real mountains!). Some of the runs were just long, slow, and incredibly peaceful–it was like a retreat; on skis! I snapped this picture from our condo porch. It was so peaceful and those mountains were just stunning. I love nature and reveling in it as a connection to prayer/spirit. For me, this is the perfect image which describes precisely what I’m writing about today…there is such beauty in the stillness and the opportunity to notice what’s right in front of you sometimes…
Ok…so….I’m sorry for the hiatus; kind of. I haven’t been inspired or moved to write anything lately. When I began this blog, I decided that if what I had to write didn’t fit into one of my mission categories (real.truth.experience.joy), I wasn’t going to write or post it. It’s not to say that nothing has happened, just haven’t had the urge to write.
What do you do when you have a writer’s and/or idea block? Do you push through it and write/create anyway? Do you accept that’s where you’re at and wa
it for the spark to connect? Do you try a routine? Music? Exercise? Do you let it be? Does it stress you out or is it more “meh”? Are you “too busy” or just not creating the space?
I used to be more, hmmmm….how might we say this…concrete…nope…i
t’s just darn rigidness. “I said I’d post once a month, so I’m going to post once a month!” I’d put myself on some weird new routine to coarse myself into getting this magic idea or be determined that a new “practice” would help. Inevitably, my new practice would die out after a few rounds. It’s not that I have trouble following through with things
…it’s that I have trouble stepping out of the boundary of what is my truth and genuine inside of me. If I don’t feel like writing haiku’s…writing a haiku a day for a year just isn’t going to work for me. I used to get stressed and irritated that I wouldn’t just “buck up” and write (create).
Clearly these strategies served me so well…NOT. So this time around…I was aware that I hadn’t blogged. No pressure…no stress…no frustration. It’s MY blog! It’s supposed to be a release, a hobby, a stress-reliever not producer. But I was aware that “it was time” and then “way overdue”. What struck me is how I began to notice differently, listen differently, pay attention to what draws me and why in a different way. Occasionally, I caught myself asking, “Should I blog about x?” “Hmmm…no, not this time.” The amazing thing was, I WAS OKAY WITH THIS RESPONSE!
I’m a reflective person. I need quiet and space to let things soak in and swim around a little bit. Being able to honor that need for processing in something as simple as a blog entry (or non-entry) without judgement was a huge thing for me. Noticing…who knew it was such a powerful thing? Who knew Ms. Katy Marie LaFond would ever be able to image beauty with this scenario?
I do realize the irony in writing a blog about not writing a blog…just know that I noticed this a while ago and waited for the spirit to say, “now’s the time…” (without judgement…argh…that’s the tough part)
What do you notice and step back without judgement? Do you experience the beauty in the stillness?
real.truth.experience.joy
from my inside...out 
Great entry, Katy. And amazing photo. It captures exactly what you wrote about.
When I used to spend more time writing creatively, I forced myself to write every morning at the same time, for the same amount of time. Back then, I wanted it to be more than just a hobby, so I felt the structure was necessary. But that structure, which allowed me to produce volume, definitely hindered the quality. Somewhere along the line, my focus seemed to become more about producing X number of words than creating the best possible collection of words. So, I agree, that forcing the act can hinder the product. But it can be very hard to ease up on the process without feeling a sense of guilt.
I am actually envious of you for being able to say that not doing something is ok, and being at peace with it. I find it darn hard not to work toward taking tasts off the to-do list, whether it is writing or any other type. How does the saying go . . .motion does not constitute action . . . or something like that. It is hard, at least for me, to sit still and just listen. Even if it is just a meaingless task, doing it always feels better than sitting there quietly.
Thanks for a great entry. It got me thinking.
Tony
Tony! You make me laugh…don’t be too envious of my “ability to say that not doing something is ok”…I wish I were more integrated. That will be a lifelong journey! Peace,Katy