Back when my children were young, and my partner and I struggled to keep them entertained, our motto was always, When in Doubt, Go Out. Even when the weather was nippy, it was worth the struggle to get on the snowsuit and the boots for a change of scenery and an infusion of fresh air. I was glad they never minded taking a walk in the stroller, and I enjoyed watching them get up close and personal with grass, rocks, snow and mud.
My 19-month old grandchild, Manu, doesn’t like the stroller. It can take half an hour to get him outside, but once he’s there, he does like walking around his neighborhood, exploring the lawns with the animal ornaments, looking out for cars and trucks passing by and planes flying overhead. Like my children, he loves substances and can happily entertain himself moving handfuls of grass clippings from one place to another, or splashing in a puddle, or sifting through piles of rocks. Really, it’s all about discovery.And discovery shouldn’t end when you’re 2, or 3, or 4. One of the best parts about playing with kids is that I can also enjoy the feel of clipped grass in my hand, or pay extra attention to the crescendo and decrescendo of a soaring plane as it enters and exits my orbit. There are many days sitting in the sun and having an hour-long rock exchange with Manu feels far more enticing than staring at the screen with its brain numbing cathode rays and all those murky words, even if I was the one who wrote them.
Especially if I was the one who wrote them.
Photo: D. Dina Friedman
So, whenever I get stuck in my writing, I go outside.
In the spring and summer, my go-to activity is gardening. I swear, I get my best ideas from pulling weeds.
Photo: D. Dina Friedman
Some people hate weeding, but to me getting rid of weeds feels like chaos I can control, as opposed to trying to get rid of the clutter in my house, which feels like chaos I can’t control. There’s nothing like the feel of dirt on my hands, and the satisfaction of digging up and tossing out clumps of stuff I know I don’t want. Way easier than chopping out paragraphs I struggled to perfect only to realize they just don’t serve the story.
Photo: D. Dina Friedman
In the winter, I walk in the woods and say “wow” every time I come to a landscape that delights me. I have a soft spot for the Hansel-and-Gretel look of a path through the snow-covered trees, especially when illuminated by the bright sun. But even when there’s no snow and the air is damp and raw, I try to find beauty in the gray light. This is also a good lesson for disentangling my writing messes. Somewhere in a draft that may seem hopeless, there’s often a spot worthy of a photo-op, a place to explore close-up, long view, and from different angles.
And this coming winter, I’m looking forward to exploring the tactile pleasures of the snow with a 2-year-old, feeling the joyful tingle of cold on my back as I wave my arms back and forth making angels.