Brandt's Morning

Dorothea Brandt wrote a book called "Becoming a Writer" way back in 1920-something. Gimmie a minute while I Google. . . . Okay, I lied. 1934. The book I was thinking of published in 1920s - I stand corrected again . . . 1935 and it's Stanislovsky's "An Actor Prepares". Both books, however, have a similar goal: Get the artist to start working with or near (as it were) their subconscious.

One of the exercises in Brandt's book is to wake up in the middle of the night and write for a certain amount of time - say, 20 minutes. Along with a few other considerations (she uses exhaustion and exercise to describe the point) her concept is to get the writer to work where access to the subconscious is readily available. It works.

I believe it is argued that this is why more artist per capita (when compared to other professions) boast more drinkers - the drinking brings the writer to the brink.

But it takes such a commitment! I'm working that commitment now.

There is so much I want to do on a regular/daily basis that I can get overwhelmed with the execution. Patience and temperance and easing into the program (whatever we decide it's going to be) is essential. Have I taken on more than I can chew? Time will tell. But the last thing I want to do is feel this sort of dread because there's too much to do in one day: meditate, hygiene, eating properly (diabetic), work on new novel, edit old pieces, work at the casino, etc etc (not to mention all the things that need to get done around the house.

I wonder how others handle their own desires to chase their bliss.