Seeking Brilliance

I was overjoyed, and I mean over the moon flooded with joy, when Caroline Jane messaged me out of the blue to invite me to write a column for the Vocal Social Society magazine. Yippee, how exciting is that.

It took me just 30 seconds to come up with a title for it ... Seeking Brilliance. I think that’s a pretty great name to inspire budding writers, don’t you?

Aahh but what to write for the first post? Now me, I don’t waste time searching my brain for ideas. I let the quantum field pop those ideas straight into me effortlessly. I call it the FLOW. You see I am a passionate player in the quantum field … that dreamland-like place where ideas go to wait for someone to come along and birth them into reality. Now I’ll understand if you’re sceptical about that. But as a writer I’m sure you know what I mean when I say those ideas just come pop pop popping along into your brain without you having a single thought about it. Like in the shower. When you’re walking in the woods without a pen in sight. As you laugh with a friend, trying your best to hang onto that idea until you can get somewhere to write it down. Why oh why do they almost always come when my fingers are far away from a keyboard? Well that’s probably because those are the times when I’m doing very little thinking. Relaxed, surrendered into the joy of life … and whoosh in come the ideas pouring on through like they can’t wait to dance into reality through me.

The FLOW does happen once I get to my computer, drop my fingers on the keyboard and then a kind of brilliance comes pouring on through. Ok, I get it. I might sound a tad on the arrogant side by saying that, but it’s kind of true. And not just for me. Anyone who’s experienced this FLOW knows that what pours through with it is a hundred times better than anything you could write from your mind. I am mesmerized by it. Enchanted you might say. And yes it’s me and not me all at the same time. I seemed to disappear when the FLOW starts moving and for that I am eternally grateful. I could even say some grand dreamer takes over and guides my fingers to endeavour to enchant the world with words. It does kind of have that feel to it you see.

Word after word appears on the screen before you captivating you in its charms. I become spell bound you might say by what genius has to say. And here’s the even better news. No writers block ever! Not once, not ever. Coz the FLOW once it starts is never ending and that is so exciting to me. So I say yes to it over and over again, inviting it to enchant the world through me. Anyone and everyone can do this. The FLOW is non-discriminatory. Perhaps it’s not as simple as just saying yes and off you go. Although it can be if you really really believe in it. So here are a few tips from a FLOW lover to pass on the keys to the kingdoms of FLOW.

1. Take a deep breath and set your thinking mind aside for the moment.

2. Think of something you love and let the rush of that open you up wildly and wondrously to the genius lands. In a way it's like plugging your stand alone computer (your mind) into the great genius internet of ideas in the sky.

3. Now say YES to the FLOW. It needs to know you’re primed and ready to go.

4. Put your fingers to the keyboard and let the FLOW have its way with you. [Note: One of the Vocal writers commented the other day that he often couldn’t keep up with the FLOW and I get that. I’ve had to learn to type pretty fast to accommodate its waves rolling in. You could always try recording it first I suppose if that’s a challenge for you.]

5. Do not edit as you type. This is essential because the moment you start editing you roll back up into your thinking mind and the FLOW essentially dwindles to a slow drip. Feel free to edit it later once it’s all come through. You will know when it’s done because a perfect ending will go taadaa in you. Like when the end of this piece popped through and made me smile.

6. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Be mesmerised, enchanted, surprised at yourself and what is coming through you. Then share widely and wonderfully for others to enjoy what just came through.

This is my way of seeking brilliance. I’m sure there are many ways, as many as there are genius writers out there today. But the FLOW and I, we are buddies and it would love more and more people to pour its brilliance through. So it and I want to say ‘May the FLOW be with you evermore!’

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