Ritual for letting go
‘It’s vital to establish some rituals - automatic but decisive patterns of behaviour - at the beginning of the creative process, when you are most at peril of turning back, chickening out, giving up, or going the wrong way,’ writes award-winning choreographer and MacArthur Fellow, Twyla Tharp in her New York Times bestseller, The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it For Life.
I recommend this book to my students when they start out on the MA Creative Writing and I’ve found, over the years, that it really resonates with so many of them. As Tharp points out, ritual is essential to establishing creative habits because ‘a ritual eliminates the question, Why am I doing this?’
But as well as daily rituals - how we start or end our day, for example - I think we need other rituals too. Rituals to celebrate something, begin something new or perhaps let go of something. Maybe these rituals are more like ceremonies or even prayers; whatever word or concept works for you.
I’ve made a quick free pdf of a Ritual for Letting Go and you can download it here.
Part of my own practice for this month/ year is to let go of perfectionism. No, I didn’t fit this guide onto one page. And there are lots of things I’d do differently if I were to draw this again. But I’m not going to angst about it. I think it’s much more useful if I just share it with you instead.
Please feel free to share it with anyone you think might find it useful.
Happy New Year!
