THE PROTOCOL

1 – Ground

Open the sacred container. Feel your body in space in time. Invite yourself to this experience.

2 – Disinvite

Kindly, with all the love in the world, disinvite your inner sabateur, your judgemental spectre, your fearful critic from the room.

3 – Gather

Gather your creative materials- pen/paper, intruments, or simply your voice. Technology is highly discouraged for this process- but in a pinch a laptop or a cellphone can be used for writing.

4 – Recording

Set up for recording your creation session. Writing is its own record! For sound, pull out any audio recording or video recording device.

5 – Reflect

Unlike a mindfulness practice that encourages one to clear their mind or to just simply notice thoughts as they arise, instead follow the proverbeal rabbit down the hole into your wandering thoughts. Where are they leading you? What is occupying your mind today? Spend 5 – 10 minutes in this state and do not judge or resist where your mind goes. You will use all of this.

6 – Begin

This can be the trickiest part- but we have been preparing for this moment. Remember that no one ever has to see, hear, or read this work. This is simply an exercise and there is no pressure for anything to be perfect or palatable. Set a timer, grab on to the last thought you had in your reflective wanderings and GO. Let your wandering thoughts become the words of your creation.

7 – Don’t stop! Don’t edit! Don’t start over!

Nothing here is a mistake. Everything is good data.

8 – End

Stop when the timer rings, wrap up your last thought, sing your last line.

9- Close

Close the sacred container of your free expression. Thank yourself fo r your vulnerability and courage.

10 – Wait

This can be for a variable amount of time, but before your revist your extemporanous thoughts give yourself a break away from them. Return in an hour, later that day, or over the course of the next few days. Listen to/read what you sang/wrote and reflect upon what your drifting mind has created. With some space from this practice, you will be able to discover what is bouncing aroumnd in yoru subconscious mind.

11 – Harvest

Take what you need and leave the rest. There may be something of great usefulness in your improvisation exercise. You can develop any ideas that came out of it – or not! Either way DO NOT DELETE THE FILE OR THROW AWAY THE PAPER. You can return to it at any point and with time you may be able to glean even more from it.

12 – Repeat

This exercise gets easier and more fruitful with practice. Remember nothing you sing or write will ever have to be witnessed by anyone else without your consent.