Cool Things and Why I Didn't Write On My Field Trip

How fun to open the newest, May/June edition of Writer’s Digest Magazine and see the Simply Write universe sitting at No. 6 in the 28th Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers.

Here on Simply Write and on our sister pub Simply Said: How to live well, do good, be happy, and on the Simply Write podcast, we are working hard to support writers and creatives with inspiring ideas, writing tips, and science-backed strategies that make life a little easier and definitely more interesting. We are always working to inspire, entertain, inform, and connect with you all in a meaningful way. Thanks for being a part of it.

Wait, a show about notebooks? Absolutely.

I wanted to learn more about YouTube and video production, and decided the best way to do it was to jump all in and create a channel about a few of my favorite things.

Take Note is my new channel and playlist on @PollySimplyWrite on YouTube, where I show off my favorite (and not-so-favorite) notebooks and pens, talk about writing and books, and other analog tools in short videos. We have just launched, and I would love for you to drop in.

OK, since we’re talking about learning new things, now is your chance. If you’ve been curious about writing or want to learn how to put your life experiences into essays, register now for the Personal Essay Writing 101 course, launching April 30th with Writer’s Digest University. This guided course is a great (low-stress) way to learn about essay writing, and you can move at your own pace with new lessons each week.

I went on a field trip with my husband this weekend.

We spent the night in a B&B at a winery. We drank Oregon Pinot Noir and sat on a wraparound deck, looking at the mountains, the grapevines, the sheep waiting to be sheared. I took deep breaths. I didn’t talk to anyone except Noah, the bartender, and my husband, here and there.

I challenged myself not to write.

It sounds strange, I know. But I’ve been in a busy stretch. When the work is there, you take it. It ebbs and flows. Right now it’s flowing. And I am grateful. And, tired. Long days. Weekends of work.

So I made a deal: read, rest, enjoy the quiet. Not a word of writing for 24 hours.

I broke the deal to jot a couple of notes in my Traveler’s Passport notebook so I wouldn’t lose an idea. But I didn’t work on my proposal or the essay about goldfish.

I slept hard. I finished reading a mystery. I relaxed.

And when I came back to my desk just 24 hours later, I was ready.

According to research from the American Psychological Association, that kind of cognitive distance helps improve our recovery and work performance. Who knows how that all works, but I do feel sharper this week.

Now this isn’t an excuse to not write. Yes, I see you there. But it is a reminder that sometimes we have to live into the other part of our lives and take a rest to make room for the creative energy to flow.

Sometimes the best thing for the work is to step away from it.

Or, Simply Write.

-p