Write to Breathe

"The best reason to write regularly, to keep working over drafts, and to experiment with exercises...is that they give the breath of inspiration more of a chance to slip into our lungs." 
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Lake Michigan near Chicago's Grant Park

I came across the above quote in the introduction to John Drury's Creating Poetry. Drury's words are an inspiration in their own way, wouldn't you say? Give the breath of inspiration more of a chance to slip into our lungs. Ah. Such a thought is not just limited to the writing of poetry either, of course. Writing regularly breathes inspiration into the lungs of all writers, no matter what form their words take.

Drury continues: "Robert Frost noted that when his poems didn't work out, he called them exercises," and, if the word (exercise) bothers you, "if it makes you think of workouts and make-work and brain teasers, think of exercises as provocations, goads, triggers, or ignition keys."


Or...the breath of inspiration. Breathing is involuntary, instinctive. I'm aiming for writing to be more of a natural response as well. It's the best way to inflate the lungs of writing and make them more healthy. So I'll keep doing exercises. Prompts. Freewriting. Even take a stab at poetry. How about you? Are you inhaling inspiration through a regular habit of writing?

Happy rest of the weekend. Happy writing. And remember...breathe deep and write often!

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