Sorting Through Mental Coins

Discovering process through...process

This week’s newsletter is a spiffied-up version of a little graphic I drew up for Sara a few weeks ago when we were talking about making decisions about what to write. I love drawing up little charts like this one—it’s my version of mind mapping, and I use it when I need to get multiple and possibly competing thoughts out of my head and onto paper. Something about taking the time to produce something slightly fancier (and in my case, more legible) than regular handwriting or typing helps me organize my thoughts. This process slows my mind down in a way that feels grounding, and something about focusing on the materiality of the page quiets all those pesky “shoulds” that get in the way of freedom of thought.

Perfection and consistency—in lettering, writing, or content—are never my goals when I make these maps. And they are definitely not art—at least, not the way I create and use them. Instead, I treat them like the automated change-sorting machines that used to be in the fronts of supermarkets: They help me figure out what pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters—and oh, look! a Euro!—are jingling around in my head at that moment.

How do y’all sort out your head-change?*

—Tes

Times to Write in June

To participate, become a paid subscriber. We will send Zoom links in a separate email.

Synchronous writing times are loose and welcoming—need to show up late or leave early? No problem! Just turn off your mic/camera as you enter the Zoom. Often, we’ll rename ourselves in the Zoom to indicate what time we’re reconvening to chat. And if you’re on a roll and don’t want to chat, then no worries—just keep doing what you’re doing!

• Thursday, June 26, 8pm ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Sunday, June 29, all day: Asynchronous writing time on the chat

• Monday, June 30, noon ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Thursday, July 3, 8pm ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Monday, July 7, noon ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Thursday, July 10, 8pm ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Sunday, July 13, all day: Asynchronous writing time on the chat

• Monday, July 14, noon ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Thursday, July 17, 8pm ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Monday, July 21, noon ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Thursday, July 24, 8pm ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Sunday, July 13, all day: Asynchronous writing time on the chat

• Monday, July 28, noon ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

• Thursday, July 31, 8pm ET: Zoom writing time (90 minutes)

  * I can’t not think of the Zen master/hot dog vendor joke here….