Writing as a Path to Awakening

September 4, 2017
You are a creative genius, says poet and writing workshop instructor DeSilver (Beamish Boy) in this guide to using meditation practice as a source of inspiration and guidance. DeSilver separates the book into 12 chapters corresponding to the months of the year, with each considering a different step in the creative process: rebirth, emergence, imagination, amusement, revelation, and so on. As with many books on writing instruction, he includes practical exercises. “Schedule times for your writing practice. Calendar it now... like you would an appointment with your dentist,” he suggests. DeSilver’s key to unlocking creative genius is the use of meditation as a tool to develop mindfulness and internal awareness, and he includes exercises in each chapter for learning to meditate in both creative and spiritual capacities. DeSilver also shares stories from his life, such as the day he demonstrated to elementary school students how brilliant and natural they were at tapping into their imaginations. Spiritually curious types looking for creative inspiration will want to give his methods a try.

July 1, 2017

As their titles state, both of these books focus on writing as a tool to exploring and stimulating one's way of interacting in the world. Author DeSilver (Beamish Boy) claims that "a writer is someone who writes, not someone who is published," and that practice, repetition, and consistency are essential to creative expression on the page. He encourages readers to master these principles by offering stories, meditations, and writing exercises within the framework of the months of the year. For example, the theme for April is "blossoming," while October is "abundance." The goal is to encourage the practice of meditation and use art to accelerate a personal spiritual revolution.,

Similarly, Matousek (Ethical Wisdom) inspires readers to explore their own narrative through writing. He outlines weekly prompts intended to spur readers to write honestly about topics such as their deepest wounds, greatest challenges, and hidden gifts in order to move more closely toward a liberated life. Each exercise offers a tidbit of the author's experience, core insights, a series of questions through which one can dive deeper, and an analysis of the topic under discussion. VERDICT Both volumes will help readers understand themselves better. DeSilver's concentrates more on the craft of writing, while Matousek's centers on self-revelation.

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