Write Awake: Inspiration from The Elements (Part 1 ~ Earth)

Welcome to the first installment of Write Awake: Inspiration from The Elements, a 4-part conscious writing series.

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Writing an ecofiction novel has inspired me to connect with the Earth more often, even if it's from my office window.

Just after the spring equinox, I took a much-needed digital break. I opened the windows to let in the fresh air and golden sunshine, laughed at the scampering squirrels outside, and "played the daffodils" on my Native American style flute. 

To use them as "sheet music", I began at the far left of the daffodils growing against our backyard stone wall, playing high notes for the top of the taller flowers and low notes for the shorter ones. There were twelve blossoms that day and the result was a surprisingly pretty and intuitive melody.

My flute was created from a tree, so it already has the deep vibrations of the Earth. And when the daffodils are gone, I will "play the boulders" and pretend they are majestic mountains. I look forward to meditating with my flute at least 15 minutes a day and I find it very healing.

The rooting of a new character

Albert Camus wrote that "autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." It's a wonderful observation, one that I wholeheartedly believe. But every season comes with its challenges.

A few autumns ago, a dramatic thunderstorm had stripped some of our backyard maples from golden masterpieces into grisly skeletons and I wondered who would handle the cleanup.

At first, it made me sad to see the ground covered with broken twigs and branches like a crumbling blanket. Then my creative mind clicked on and I envisioned potential treasures hidden in the debris. I saw craft projects. Artwork. Windchimes. And yes, even fancy writing wands.

That's when the idea to create a new character for Moonwater Beach took root from one broken branch.

Tree Singer is a joyful Hopi from Arizona who makes flutes from fallen trees. To help replenish the forests, he plants a tree for every flute he sells. He’s an artist, too, and he uses branches to create picture frames and tree stumps to store his paints and brushes.

In a book where Water is the major theme and element, I was glad Tree Singer appeared to me because my protagonist Snow Whitedove Smith is overflowing with emotion and sorely needs his grounding energy. He becomes an important influence and reminds me of Kokopelli, the flute-playing deity revered by many Native American cultures.

Truthfully, couldn't we all use more joy and music in our lives?

From a writer's standpoint, Earth's message is to stay awake to possibilities. Is that just a fallen branch on the ground? Or could it be an important new character for your book or story?

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Exercises:

• Write about a time when you turned to the gifts of the Earth to inspire your writing.

• Imagine you have been transformed into a tree. What species are you? Are you a young or old tree? Where are you rooted? What do you see from your vantage point? Write a scene or story about your experience.

• Read my free Colorful Planet monologue. As a writer, what could you do to give back to the Earth? What have you accomplished already?

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For more tips on conscious writing, read Write Awake: A Conscious Path to Creativity and Change by Eleyne-Mari Sharp.