When the mind of the narrator is your own

For a couple of weeks I’ve been writing nearly nightly the story of…me. It’s prompted by reading Julia Cameron’s The Vein of Gold, a continuation of sorts of her highly influential best seller The Artist’s Way.

The first batch of tasks in VoG (how I’ve been referring to it) is taking rapid, hand-written notes in 5 year chunks of one’s life, from birth to present day. Next is answering a list of specific questions for spans of time. And then this section of the book culminates in writing one’s Narrative Timeline. It’s intense!

She urges that we be compassionate with ourselves in the process, to write quickly with little concern for style, and to honor the nuances and small details recall. She also urges us to not focus on analysis or process; avoid rumination, offering explanations to others, and not to debate. We are to be our own counsel.

I’ve been doing Morning Pages for years now, the cornerstone of The Artist’s Way. I’ve become a devotee of her prompting to nurture this habit of daily stream of consciousness writing in the hazy, just-woke-up moments of the morning. Three pages, handwritten happens 5 or 6 days a week from my couch, while sipping coffee. I’m hooked.

The Narrative Timeline is a different beast. I’m pleased to be doing it, but find myself a bit overwhelmed, writing in small bursts, maybe 30 minutes at a time. Currently I’m 8 years old in my Timeline. This makes me laugh to myself, because at this pace it’s going to be weeks before I finish. But that’s okay. I’ll show myself some compassion.