Have you ever purposefully driven around a new place just to get lost for a few hours? I have. It’s one way of beginning to familiarize ourselves with the unknown. The same idea applies to the things we make.
Plans and directions are good. We need to have a fair understanding of how to best complete a process. What about story? Do you think a good story is always planned out? I don’t.
When I write fiction, I only have a general idea of where I expect the plot to lead. I prefer that method. Sometimes, I’ll just write, letting myself get lost for awhile. Then, I’ll go back and reread what I wrote. It’s not always perfect. It doesn’t always make sense. But sometimes I wind up with great stuff that I’d never have written otherwise.
Poetry, to me, is just an exercise in wandering. I rarely have some definitive idea for a beginning, middle, and end of a poem. Instead, I get lost in process of letting the words and ideas flow as they will. A sense of purpose and place usually develops as I write.
Getting lost can be a great way to let go of anxiety and worry. Most of us get lost in reading a book or listening to music from time to time. So why not get lost in the things we make? Not just consumed in our work, but literally lost, wandering, experimenting, trying new and unknown roads. – dse
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