Why We Free Write.
“Free writing” is a style of writing used to reflect, process emotions, and unlock thoughts that are trapped in our subconscious. We live so much of our lives and spend so much of our days thinking logically: “What’s next on the to-do list?” “What’s for dinner tonight?” etc. It is hard to turn that part of our brain off when we sit down to write. Free writing allows us to do just that."
Also known as: free flow writing, stream of consciousness writing, word purging, brain dumps
Free writing is actually quite simple.
It is best performed with a pen and paper (although if you are typing, I encourage you to type as if the “backspace” button does not exist! When you start writing, you will continue writing (try to write as if your pen never leaves the page) and resist the urge to “self-edit” or “filter” what comes through the pen.
This will likely result in a messy collection of thoughts that may or may not make sense to you. This is perfect… and is actually the goal of free writing.
In order to heal, we need to bring out the past. When we free write, we don’t get caught up in our own narratives, stories, and points of view. Instead, we can detox or purge what is trapped in our hearts, swirling around our minds, or stored in our bodies. Free writing is a way to quiet the noise of our “monkey mind” by leaning into it, rather than trying to be something we are not.
By getting our conscious mind out of the way, our subconscious can run wild… and that, my friends, is what good writing is made of!
Now, when you’re free writing, your “first draft” might not look very good. But the point of free writing is not to “write well.” The point of free writing is to get our emotions into a safe place (the page.) No matter what you write, your page can handle it.
When we write in this way, it can unlock several things:
creative ideas we did not know we had!
pain or grief we have been storing in our body (it is normal after free writing to have sore hips and shoulders, or have jaw or back pain. This will not last long, and you may even feel BETTER than you did before in a short time!)
hidden trauma (which is why it is so important to take good care of ourselves throughout the day, but especially after free writing)
deep belief systems, ideas, or feelings
roadblocks in our healing or relationships
During free writing sessions, you may have several big emotions come up including but not limited to:
rage, resentment, happiness, joy, jealousy, sadness, grief, hope, love, hate, and more.
The number one rule is: act like your eraser or backspace button does not exist!
Do not edit, censor or filter yourself. Write anything and everything that comes to mind. Try not to think too much.
This will get easier as you practice. The first few times you try it, you may find yourself editing your work a lot, so it is recommended that you use paper and pen… and just keep writing without letting your pen leave the page. Try not to look back over what you have written. Just keep writing, even if you repeat yourself or start writing what feels like nonsense.
If you are doing this on your own, set a timer for 5 minutes to start and see how it feels. Or, you can follow the Artist’s Way method and commit to writing three unedited pages every single morning.
In Sacred Circle, we take a slightly different approach and ask you to Free Write after hearing a poem read to you. I will also give you a few optional prompts to write to, to help get your creative juices flowing.