By a happy coincidence, I’m re-reading Gabriele Rico’s book Writing the Natural Way as I write about the unconscious mind. Or maybe it’s not a coincidence. At least part of my brain was aware that the letter U was coming up in the A to Z Challenge. I like how my unconscious can nudge me toward action without my conscious mind being aware.

I first read Rico’s book in 1985, just before I went into medical school, and the creative thread of my life was suppressed for a while. It was the first craft book I’d read that convinced me I could write. More importantly, it gave me a reliable path to find something to say. Thirty-eight years later, I’m still finding useful things in this book.

Sign MInd and Design Mind

There are two phases of writing, what Rico calls the Design mind and the Sign mind, the unconscious and the conscious. Both are necessary to write something that is both structured and alive. In my inner landscape, the voice of the unconscious is humorous and quirky. It’s a delightful voice, even if I’m dealing with dark material.

The conscious mind speaks more harshly. It’s there to be logical and sequential. But it’s still the voice of an inner teacher and craftsperson. My inner teacher’s voice is gentle and wise; it’s not an autocrat. It’s a judicious disciplinarian.

Allowing the Unconscious

The unconscious, pattern-recognizing mind must be allowed freedom from logic and sequence to expand and express. If the unconscious gets squelched by the louder rational side of the mind, it doesn’t mean that the unconscious mind shuts off. Five minutes of trying to meditate will confirm this.

If not allowed to express itself (and here I picture myself in a room of loud people, often men), the unconscious mind will keep percolating, waiting to erupt when it gets a chance. I try to let my unconscious mind run free for at least a few minutes every day.