Unblocking myself….

“What’s on?” Lulu, my parrot asked.

“Nothing really worth a mention” I said.

“You must not be working, I see you spending your time on internet. Surfing the net is a sure way of spending time in aimless and meaningless manner. You just move from website to website. I don’t know really what pleasure do you get surfing?”
“It is something you birds do when you glide on the air currents. Looking for something exciting.”
“Nope! We look for prey! And food.” Lulu said disapprovingly.
“Ok, ok. But I have not been surfing the net. I was writing.” I replied.

“Writing what? Don’t tell me you are writing a novel or short stories.”

“No such a thing. I was reading a book by Julia Cameron. It is called ‘The Artist’s Way.’ She has written about a few simple techniques of unblocking one’s creativity.”

“So what’s the first instruction?”

“Write three pages when you get up in the morning.”

“About?” Lulu Asked.

“About absolutely anything…. But you must write three pages.”

“Why?”

“She says you begin the day by activating your right brain.”

“Thank God, such things are given only to human beings. We birds have a small but a whole brain. It is only human beings who have left and right brains. Some reportedly have two left brains!” Lulu said laughing.

“Oh, that is a manner of speaking; nobody will have two left brains. God is not like a footwear dealer who might put two left shoes in your shopping bag by mistake!” I said. “The right brain is the centre of creativity. So we need to activate it.”

“Tut tut tut…..that’s okay, but did writing three pages help?”

“Well, my experience is that it helps you become reflective. You can’t write three pages without revealing something about your feelings, emotions or perspective. Clarity about the subject seems to come to you slowly, like a man wearing his lost spectacles.”

“So are you recommending this technique to all blogger friends?” Lulu asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“That’s interesting. So what is written further in the book?”

“Well, I have not moved beyond the second chapter?”

“Why not? Have you lost your reading glasses?”   Lulu asked and flew away.

Vivek