Openness

I’m not enjoying writing today. I’ve started and deleted two attempts at writing so far. This is ironic since I’m trying to write about how to make writing more enjoyable. How can I “induce positive affect” as the scientists would say?

My research keeps bringing me back to the Broaden and Build model and the researcher Barbara Frederickson. Her model looks like this.

1. A person experiences positive emotions.
2. This causes them to broaden their experience. They meet new people, try new activities, and consider new ideas.
3. From this they build resources such as knowledge, skills, and friends.
4. This enhances their health and self-esteem and helps them experience positive emotions. (see step 1)
   

So I’m racking my brain trying to figure out how to induce positive emotions to get this feedback loop going. Music? Pleasant images? Nice thoughts? Confident poses? Things like that. To me they seem like they’re the bench warmers at a professional basketball game. Something is missing.

Then it hits me. This is a cycle. That means step 1 doesn’t have to be the first step. If I start at a different step I get a slightly different story.

1. A person broadens their experience. They meet new people, try new activities, and consider new ideas.
2. From this they build resources such as knowledge, skills, and friends.
3. This enhances their health and self-esteem.
4. This helps them experience positive emotions.

Negative emotions constrict choices. Positive emotions increase openness. But what is the common advice for writing? Make it a ritual. Write in the same place and at the same time.

I don’t think that’s terrible advice, but there’s a side effect that needs to be addressed.

If I’m going to write on a schedule, I need to find ways to create openness, spontaneity, novelty, and maybe even a little bit of play and silliness. Otherwise it can start to feel stale, constricted, limited.