When you start to hold a special affection for a piece of equipment, that can get a little…awkward. I’m talking about a copier/scanner, of course.
You see, I’ve discovered recently that whenever I find myself scanning files, I get inspired. Don’t ask me why that is. But if I put a file on the copier and open up a journal, while the pages fly through the copier one at a time, words topple out of my head and flow through the pencil (yes, I do write with one of those antiquated hand-held “devices”). Because of these past few incidents during which I arrived at this odd but exciting epiphany, I now keep a blank journal before me all the time during scanning. The result has been nearly a dozen poems already!
Why do I share this bizarre discovery of mine? Because it is an unexpected synchronicity of processes I’ve stumbled upon, and sometimes we can be afraid to change up our behavior and our routines. But by just casually trying something new, I came upon a completely surprising but already rewarding lesson about ME. That apparently the timing of what I’m doing to prepare files for scanning and doing so, coincides with the pace and timing needed to write as I do poetry. A string of words at a time, maybe a few lines at most… piece by piece. Then stop for a break and return to continue. My poetic rhythm. And it would seem my file scanning process dances to the same tune. I could never write a chapter or short story this way, but my creative process and flow for writing poetry clearly matches the momentum I create when I scan a stack of files at the office.
Hmm. Strange, I know. But it’s already helped me to be the most prolific a poet I’ve been in months. And yes, the file scanning IS getting done, too.
So for that reason, I encourage you if you’re a writer or artist in some other way, and what you’ve always done doesn’t appear to be working anymore…shake it up a little! Try something different to get your creative juices flowing. And even if you’re not an artist but are finding yourself getting restless or bored with what you do, seek your own scanner epiphany. What can you do to shake up your routine to introduce a new spark of enthusiasm into the process? It might be worth the search! ~ Chris
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