On Project Gardens for Writers
During an SDW Co-Writing Session a few weeks ago, Emily Hartford (who can be found here and here) was talking about her various writing and creative projects and said something along the lines of “I’ve been thinking about everything in my project garden” and everyone else on the Zoom call leaned in toward Emily, well, toward our computer screens.
We liked the idea of a project garden. We all talked about it for a bit and then we did the rest of the SDW Co-Writing Liturgy and ended the call with the final two lines we’re reciting together this month:
May we remember our sources of gladness and joy.
May we receive plenty of gladness and joy.
Anyway.
I’ve continued to think about project gardens and why I love the idea of project gardens. Here’s one thing I love about it: Having a project garden makes it okay to have several things at different stages going at the same time.
I know it’s okay to have several things at different stages going at the same time. I’m pretty sure all writers have several things at different stages going at the same time. But sometimes I feel ashamed of the fact that I have SO. MANY. THINGS. at different stages going at the same time.
But if you have a project garden, you’re supposed to have several things at different stages going at the same time.
So, it helps me relax a bit and be more okay with this thing that’s over here in this corner where a bunch of weeds have recently sprung up,
and this thing that’s over there that seems to be growing and doing what it’s supposed to do, thank God,
and that thing that’s barely visible because of the enormous amount of weeds crowding it out,
and this small corner right here that’s empty for now so the soil can rest and replenish and receive the nutrients it needs before it receives another one of my ideas that will be a new project in my project garden.
I’ve mentioned the idea of project gardens to a few clients since that initial SDW Co-Writing Session when Emily spoke my project garden into being.
I told one client he should make a shoebox diorama of his project garden. (Based on his facial expression in response to my suggestion, I’m pretty sure he’s most definitely not going to make a shoebox diorama of his project garden. And that’s okay! My clients are fully aware of the fact that they are welcome to ignore anything I suggest.)
I mentioned the idea of a project garden to another client, Amy Hoppock (who you can find here and here), and suggested she research gardening guidelines in her hometown and see what sorts of connections she can make between her various writing projects and how to grow things in gardens where she lives. You can read about some of what happened next here. (You should definitely read this!)
Yes. I sometimes suggest my clients do things that I want to do. I want to make a project garden shoebox diorama. I want to do the research that Amy did. Maybe I’ll do those things one day.
In the meantime, I’m going to keep tilling and giving time and space to the idea of project gardens in my writerly mind and soul. And I’ll wait and watch. I’ll see what comes up out of the ground during SDW one-on-one spiritual direction sessions or during SDW Four-Hour Retreats or in my own writing and contemplative practices.
If you also end up playing with the idea of project gardens, please let me know how it goes!
And thanks again to Emily for giving me my project garden.💚
Related: A photo of my first daffodils of the season, currently blooming at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
