Editor’s note: this entire post was written in 25 minutes with no editing whatsoever. The title, each paragraph, each sentence, and each word are as they came out of my head. With that said, I don’t really apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors, or if anything even makes sense; that’s just life, so here is a microcosm of the random, chaotic, weird, genuine nature of life. Enjoy, or don’t – it’s totally your call.
So here’s the deal: I struggle, a lot, to figure out what the hell it is I’m going to say on this blog. I have an entire folder on my computer filled with close to 100 articles that consist of anywhere from 2,000 words to 10.
I do my best to stay within the common theme, enjoy the journey. And I believe that statement whole heartedly. Especially in this day and age. It’s ironic that we keep creating more and more “things” and “devices” and improving technology so we can enhance the “human experience,” so we can make life better for mankind.
But what the fuck does burying our faces in monitors and tiny screens have anything to do with the “human experience.” How does updating status’ on 8 different online platforms and taking photos with the end thought in mind, “Veronica is going to love this! I can’t wait until she she’s my new shoes. And I hope Johnny sees it too, because I think he’s really hunky.”
Before I get off on some irrelevant rant about my hatred for our growing dependence on technological advancements, I’m going to stop myself. But real quick let me reiterate, dependence. It’s not the technology I hate.
See how random that was?
What I’m doing right now is called free-form writing. It’s letting your stream of consciousness just flow out onto the page without editing. As simple as that sounds, it’s not always easy because we always want to edit. We want to edit life to make it perfect. We want A+B to always equal C. But guess what, that shit doesn’t always happen.
It’s funny, as I began the last paragraph I had to look up free-form writing on Google because I wanted to see if it was a real thing or something really cool that I made up. Unfortunately for me the term really exists. Then I became curious, so I clicked on the second link down and started educated myself on free-form writing. Turns out this particular site was a little more spiritual than I anticipated. Under the subtitle “How-to do Free-Form Writing” the number one step said,
- Find a quiet place and sit down with a ballpoint pen and paper. I also recommend that you light a candle because as you write, emotional negativity may come up and release into the room. Since it tends to go towards flame, having a lit candle may keep the room clear and the negativity away from you.
Dammit, I forgot to light a candle. Maybe that’s why this isn’t going as well as I hoped.
Which surprisingly segues into my next point, which I didn’t know I was even going to make until 30 seconds ago. What is our obsession with How-to guides? The most popular blogs (from my understanding) almost all deal with how-to’s. We as humans have this crazy obsession with learning how to do things step by step. I get it, we don’t want to waste time screwing up over and over and over, ultimately getting nowhere. But who said failing is getting nowhere? That’s what I want to know.
I just read an article about all of these famous people who have failed hundreds, even thousands of times before they achieved what we commonly define as success. Supposedly the following stats are true, or at least close to true (I’m sure you could fact check me if you wanted):
- Michael Jordan missed more than half of the shots he took.
- Henry Ford went broke five times before finally starting Ford Motor Company.
- Thomas Edison went through thousands of prototypes before finally inventing the light bulb.
- Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade and lost every public election he entered until being elected Prime Minister of Great Britain at age 62.
- John Grisham was rejected by 16 agents and 12 publishers before getting his first book deal.
Kind of crazy huh? Nay, really crazy.
So, I want to get back on topic, but that would require me going back and reading what I’ve already written which would defeat the purpose of free-form writing.
Ah, what a great metaphor for life.
There is no reset button.
There is no mulligan.
There is no going back.
As much as I like to write about specific topics, there is something freeing about this piece in particular. I’m not writing to please anyone or send a message or answer a question. Because truthfully, I don’t really have any answers. All I have, all anyone has for that matter, is there perspective. You could argue that science is fact – an absolute truth – but if that was the case we would be living on a flat disc that was the center of the universe (and maybe we are).
The point of this exercise was to have no point. I wanted to see where my mind would take me. I wanted to stop talking about what it means to enjoy the journey and embark upon one right before your eyes. I want you to see that random is not always bad (although you may absolutely hate this post, but that’s okay).
Because life as a whole only has structure and meaning that we give it. It’s like that overused bumper stick on the back of Jeeps – It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand – but instead it’s a human thing, and surprisingly enough I don’t know if we’re even meant to understand.
I’ve reach a stopping point now because my brain could go on for days but I’ll spare you the insanity. As I conclude my own social experiment, there is one quote that pops in my head that I felt is relevant to what I’ve kind of been saying (of course if my memory serves me correctly, because I honestly haven’t read a single sentence I’ve already written). So, here goes:
If you’re confused about life, you’re not alone. There are almost seven billion of us. This isn’t a problem, of course, once you realize that life is neither a problem to be solved nor a game to be won. If you are too intent on making the pieces of a nonexistent puzzle fit, you miss out on all the real fun. The heaviness of success-chasing can be replaced with a serendipitous lightness when you recognize that the only rules and limits are those we set for ourselves.
– Tim Ferriss
Enjoy The Journey
Photo credit: aopho
Is Tim Ferriss the guy who invented the Ferriss wheel?
Haha, for some reason that made me laugh really hard in real life. I think it’s the randomness – love it!
But to answer your question, no, Tim Ferriss did not invent the Ferris Wheel.
Thanks for the comment and the laugh.
haha well that was my free-flow thinking for you. Since I was wrong, I had to look it up. Just in case you were wondering:
The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The term Ferris wheel later came to be used generically for all such structures.
Thanks Wikipedia :-)
Raw and uncut. I like free-form writing! Now all I need is a candle…
Haha, so glad you like it!
FYI, I hear Bed, Bath & Beyond is having a special right now on Yankee Candle free-form writing candles – extra negative-energy attracting powers.
This reminds me of me–stream-of-consciousness writing. I have tried to recreate Ulysses by James Joyce but every time I go back and read what I have written, it seems too chaotic and unstructured. The paragraphs are seemingly so non-sequitur that not even I can remember how I segued from one topic to another. Why the hell would anyone else want to fumble through such an atrocity if I can’t even manage?
However, I truly appreciate the free-flowing and stream-of-consciousness writing and this piece of yours because it allows us a veritable glimpse into the mind of another. Oftentimes people will tell me I’m random or weird or crazy or all of the above, and all probably tend to be because I’m insane. No, not really (maybe though). The voice that comes through in such prose is so genuine that it really exemplifies the love it/hate it dichotomy. Speaking thoughts from firing action potentials of voltage-gated ion channels propagating down axons and nodes causing people to stare at me in disbelief is not uncommon.
What people tend to forget is that we all have a writing style or speaking style that constitutes the basis of our communication. Thoughts come out but they are always filtered through our unique style, perspective, experience, etc. that our brains possess. Employing random techniques into your structured style is fun and creative, but it only comes across as chaotic to someone else because they may have a completely different perspective than you. And that is what is so wonderful.
I’m not sure that prefacing this piece with an editor’s note was necessary; simply getting your thoughts out and sharing them would not have discredited this piece one bit. This is one of your best in my opinion. The only thing that is truly missing is an anachronism in your picture; perhaps having a type writer with a piece of paper in it behind you would have done the trick to have your entire fan base abandon you quicker than the time it took for me to write this.
I absolutely agree. It was interesting to go back later in the day and actually read what I had written. I noticed patterns, little nuances, and subconscious “slip ups” that don’t typically come through in my edited writing. There are a few personal adjustments I’ve been working on that deal primarily with caring about what others think of me and my work/thoughts/beliefs. I thought I was boldly moving forward, yet noticed a few instances in this piece where I felt the need to over-explain myself to ensure I wasn’t misunderstood.
The point is, free-form writing is a great exercise for anyone who wants to take an unedited, unadulterated view of themselves and their thoughts. I recommend it for anyone. The best part is – all you need to do is start writing; just go and don’t stop until you have nothing left in the tank. Take some time away from it, then look over it later. You’ll be amazed at what you find.
Thanks as always Mr. Inquisitor – I appreciate your insight.
P.S. I took your picture idea (without the anachronism) and adjusted my featured image. Great idea.
Definitely unadulterated. Definitely cathartic too. Write to release, or release and write. Just don’t forget the candles and your anachronistic type writer. It is like you wrote your piece via type writer and distributed it to the masses without the internet. Although, you did telegraph it to me via brain waves, which begs the question, why the hell would you need a type writer? Keep it real. Or keep it realistic. But just keep it coming!