The Daily Bench

This will be a long quote and I apologize in advance but I’m promoting this guy because he’s, in my opinion, a great American writer in the making. Thanks to social media, we can now witness the creation of an artist in real time and contribute with money and comments as the process develops. I’m posting this quote not because this is his best writing (and it really, really isn’t) but because he describes his process and I think it’s priceless information:

I’m a firm believer in the “daily bench.”

You’ve got to find a public bench with a faraway view within walking distance of your house. And you’ve gotta walk there every day, rain, shine, or snow, and sit for an hour.

And I mean sit. Don’t do anything. Don’t bring a book or your phone. At most, bring a cigar, or a Rosary, or talk to yourself, or sing, or whistle. But you’ve got to sit there and really just relax. Come alone most days if you can.

Everywhere I’ve ever lived where I’ve done this, I flourished. And people around me noticed — “there’s that guy again!” — and I wound up chatting with people and making friends. But more than anything, my mind was my own; the ‘blank space’ in my schedule unlocked ideas and energy I otherwise might’ve lost.

Find your bench.

https://x.com/shagbark_hick/status/1857100946628661407?t=T8of7Rjr-Q_eH4WVqE3xow&s=19

Once again, his actual literary writing is not this. I’m posting his off-hand social media comment but I’ll start sharing excerpts from his actual art and you’ll see, this dude is really talented.