Читать книгу Active Dreaming - Robert Moss A. - Страница 44

Thoreau journaled all the time. He wrote down his observations of nature, his thoughts and dreams, his notes on his constant reading. Most interesting, he journaled from his journals, picking over old volumes, plucking out promising bits and pieces, copying them out and marrying them up to make fresh drafts. It became his habit to revisit old journals, revise old materials, and weave together different passages.

I can’t recommend this practice too highly. For any writer, as for Thoreau, it opens treasuries of material, and above all, it supports the writing habit. Playing around with old notes removes the terror of the blank page. When you dip into an old journal, you are never at a loss for a theme. The simple processes of selection, arrangement, and retitling will fire the imagination. Before you know it, you’ll be in the midst of writing something new.

AS YOU TEND YOUR SECRET BOOK OVER TIME, you’ll discover more, and more will discover you. There are even deeper games you’ll be able to play. You’ll find yourself straying out of the tame and settled territory of the everyday mind and into the wilder borders of imagination, where the big story of your life can find you.