7 Observations

The power of observation + a list

Today’s prompt was inspired by a comment my friend, Jennifer Stewart Miller, made in workshop recently. We were talking about how hard it is to write in the midst of all the things and she said that Elaine Sexton suggested that even on your busiest days, you can always make a list of seven observations. Jen said, “I tell myself, come on, you can just list out 7 things!”

I wrote some very basic lines about this vortex of light I saw in Mellon Park & it felt so good

My amorphous summer-into-fall-semester days have been so full lately that I struggle to finish a thought let alone a writing task. It’s been good in many ways (working on puzzles and impromptu scooter rides with the kids where I do my awkward half-run down the street after them) but not so good for writing. And, not so good for being present given that my brain is continually cycling through the ticker tape of to dos (syllabi, soccer socks, leotards, etc). Observing the world around me is one way I wrench myself out of my own head and into the present. So, for the last week, I’ve tried to follow Jen and Elaine’s lead and jot down 7 observations. I missed a few days, and some days, I only wrote down 3 or 4 observations. 

Even so, this practice has tuned my brain to noticing, which has helped me be more present and to shift slowly into writing mode.

Here’s a good description that Elaine gives of this exercise in an interview with Matthew Thorburn at Valparaiso Poetry Review: 

"During the pandemic, I started a practice with a friend, living alone, who was struggling with the isolation and having trouble with writing. I suggested we exchange lists, a practice I learned about from the late great poet Linda Gregg, an exercise she taught, and I have taught, in noticing things: seven observations a day for seven days, or some set number of days. I offered my friend this brief and easy exchange, as a way to jump-start writing. We share a short list, every day—just seven things that we see or hear or do. This practice started about a year and a half ago, almost two, and we’ve been writing and responding briefly to each other’s lists every morning. And this, over time, enhanced, and has actually changed my practice. I start every day with that. And then sometimes if there’s something interesting in that day’s list, I’ll pluck that out and develop that. I write every day, no matter what."

Sidenote: In looking around for Linda Gregg’s articulation of the exercise, I found this brilliant essay by Gregg that I vaguely remember reading in this prompt at Nancy Reddy’s newsletter Write More. And, so it goes, as one poet inspires another and these practices take on new iterations as it keeps rolling down the line (also, PS: Gregg said to go for 6 observations! so that’s permission is 7 feels like too many…)

a few of my observations from yesterday

Prompt

What better exercise to help us be where we are than to actually observe the world around us?

1. Make a list of 7 observations each day (in your notes app, notebook, audio file on your phone, wherever)

2. Try to get down at least one or two sensory details if you can. You’ll be surprised what you forget later when you’re not in the moment.

3. If you work well with external accountability, ask a friend to do an exchange with you (email or text, etc), like Elaine did. 

4. Put a reminder in your calendar if that helps (it did for me). 

I’d love to know how this prompt goes for you. Feel free to share in the comments! 

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Be Where You Are is a newsletter about how to use writing and mindfulness to be where you are. I’ll be back on Sunday with a mini-essay, and coming soon, our first interview! You’re always welcome to reply to this email, comment below, or find me on instagram (@mohnslate) or elsewhere. If you enjoyed this, I’d love it if you would share it or send it to a friend.