Living ten minutes away from a state park affords me wonderful opportunities to regularly walk in lovely natural settings with lakes and trees. In addition to burning calories (!), I have discovered that I do some of my best writing on my feet. If I have run into some “mental underbrush” in my writing, walking helps me clear away some of the bushes and brambles so clear ideas can slip through. Also, walking prompts those “out of the blue” creative thoughts that never seem to visit me as I sit staring at my computer screen.
As a Christian, walking provides an instant spiritual retreat, particularly if you can find a spot free of distractions like traffic. Tree-lined lakes aren’t required for this; a walk in a quiet neighborhood works just fine. The deeper breathing and increased circulation that I get from walking calm me spiritually and help reduce obsessive thoughts. Praying aloud while walking is something I love to do. I just talk to God, as if He was strolling along beside me. If I’m out in the woods, I can really cut loose and vent to the Lord as loudly as I want about some irritation or confusing choice.
Over time, I have learned to add a small tablet and pen to my string backpack during my walks, along with a bottle of water, my keys, and my cell phone (turned off). I miss fewer good ideas if I can capture them in writing before they skip away, like the squirrels whose privacy I interrupt as I walk through the woods.
Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant has a great online article on Writing.com about the benefits of walking for writers, titled “Using Footpower to Boost Your Brainpower: How Walking Away Can Improve Your Writing.” She includes helpful tips like making a list of writing items to focus on while you walk, leaving your dog at home, and carrying a hand-held tape recorder to record spoken notes for later reference. I haven’t tried this yet, but I sometimes call and leave writing messages for myself on my cell phone. It serves the same purpose, but Leigh Anne’s tape recorder idea saves cell phone minutes!
Check out Leigh Anne's article at the link below . . . then go take a walk!
http://www.writing-world.com/life/footpower.shtml
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