Emergent Wisdom Writing
exercise | how to access inner wisdom through writing
When I have a question in life requiring wisdom that seems beyond my reach, sometimes I turn to this process of emergent writing in my journal.
I did a lot of this type of writing back in the early 1990s, and that resulted in two little books of reflections on love and the nature of reality: One Love and You Are the One.
This writing process has been an important tool on my path of wisdom, love, and healing. (Read more about that here.) If you want to give it a try here’s how:
Wisdom Writing Process
I encourage you start this process using a pen or pencil rather than by typing. Writing by hand creates a slower pace at the beginning, which may be helpful as you learn to tap into your flow.
When you feel a thoughtful curiosity or a need for guidance, write down your question or inquiry as a prompt. Consider how you might pose a question to a wise guru.
Step outside your sphere of mind-made ideas about the topic in question. Just do your intuitive best with this. It’s not about leaving yourself, it’s more like turning down the volume of thinking or concern about it. It’s like rising up above the noise, but still within the atmosphere of your being.
Open to the field of loving wisdom beyond seeking or knowing. This field is not separate from you at all, it just becomes more apparent when the volume is turned down. It’s like when air becomes clear as the dust settles or muddy water becomes clear when the debris settles. It feels like being a wise grandparent might feel, heartful compassion for a little one who is struggling in some way.
Initiate the flow of loving wisdom by writing what comes as it comes from that felt sense of loving wisdom. You don’t even need to know what word you are going to write. You can start with just letting your hand make a line on the paper, and see what letter that becomes. And then see what next letter comes, and what word comes to mind from that letter or two. Then just notice the next word that comes to mind following the first one. In this way you can write letter by letter, then word by word as the flow gains momentum.
When you feel done with that sentence or paragraph. You can write a follow-up question and take the inquiry deeper. Keep on with this written question-answer process until you feel complete for now.
Read what you have written to receive it more fully. Return to your writing the next day (or any time) and circle or highlight the parts that ring most true for you or spark something in your heart.
Over time, you can collect your favorite passages in a special journal — which then becomes a book of custom-made reminders to guide your way! (Like my book One Love was, and sometimes still is, for me) Some of your wisdom sparks may fade, and some may last for years. Just remember that wisdom is like flowers growing in the garden. Writing the words down is like putting flowers in a vase — they will stay fresh for a while as they nourish your soul and remind you of the garden. But outside the garden, the flowers eventually fade.
This writing process is a way for you to stay in the garden, connecting to the soil-source of wisdom is what keeps truth alive and flowering from the inside out.
In the “You may also enjoy” section below, I’ll include some things that came to be through my own emergent writing process as described above.
Blessings on your wisdom-writing journey!
❤ 2022 | Maja Apolonia Rodé
Reflections on Love, Letting Go, and Remembering Who We Are
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