Butterflies, Clouds, and Joan Baez: How Mindfulness Enhances My Writing Life

By Dinty W. Moore

Three brief, mindful reminders have significantly influenced my writing over the years, and along the way, have greatly enhanced my writing life. I’d like to share them.

The first,

If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in every sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a s...