Perla´s Top Five: Goodie Bag
Hello! I´m Perla Meléndez, a first year MFA Book Artist & Poet. I´m excited about making my first appearance on the Top Five. This time around, I´ve got a little sampling of 5 random things related to writing. Hope you enjoy em!
1. 5 lines a night. Every night. No matter what.
A few months ago I did something that I often do: I bought a new journal. It´s not that I needed a new one. I have piles of journals at home, and most of them are only half full, but I bought it anyway, thinking its clean pages could swing me back into a healthy writing routine. So couple months went by, and I realized I was doing something that I almost never do: I was writing every night before (or after) hopping into bed. I suppose you could write right when you get up, but I feel like I never have any ideas at that hour, and to be honest, I´m always running late for something. At night, though, I find it´s comforting to end the day with some final thoughts or a list of things I´m thankful for. Usually, I feel like filling a page before bed is a little more than I want to commit to when I´m already half asleep, but this diary is different. The five-line limit is not only more than doable, it makes me want to write tons more!
2. Writing while Riding
Maybe it´s the traveler in me, but I always find it inspiring to get on BART, take out a notebook and start writing. There´s so much to write about: where you´re going, where you came from, the people on the train, a profile of the station, conversations going on around you, directions, and the list goes on….
3. By the way, # 2 reminds me that there´s a book well worth checking out called The Bus, written by apoet/mentor/friend Steve Abee who I adore. It´s a story that takes place on the bus in Los Angeles. Along the way, he tells stories about neighborhoods he passes through, crazy people on the bus, and thoughts on the daily commute.
4. The Truth: An Exercise
One of my favorite writing exercises of all time is to make a list of personal and/or universal truths.
It´s a great exercise when you´ve got more on your mind than you can sort through or when you feel blocked. It turns into a kind of confessional on paper, by which you reveal things you didn´t even know you felt.
Directions: Complete the line ¨The truth is….¨ Repeat until satisfied.
5. Music on Loop
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do is Fiona Apple´s new Album, and it´s damn good to write to.
