Writing Notes from the Float

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

Despite the fact that I always knew that being a writer would mean that I actually had to write, I never really anticipated just how much writing I would be doing and what effect that would have on me. In addition to the thousands of words of professional writing that I produce on a daily basis, I also work on my own personal writing through two distinct daily practices.

Which means that I am constantly looking for new ways to stay inspired and invested in my writing projects, even when I feel worn out and weary of writing even one more word.

Therefore, I started doing research on different activities that one could do to clear the mind and ascend to new heights of creative potential. Most of the methods were focused on tapping into one’s creative energy through exploring new experiences.

In the well known bible of creative writing, The Artist’s Way, author Julia Cameron encourages the reader to go on “artists dates” where you take yourself out once a week to do something fun and exciting. As an opportunity for play, artist dates give you the time, space, and energy to have fun out in the world.

Sensory Overload and the Sensitive Artist

Although I understand the impetus behind this idea of getting out of your comfort zone, as a very anxious and neurodivergent creative, I have always had a hard time with doing new activities in strange places and/or with strange people. Not a day goes by that I don’t leave the house without noise canceling headphones, and even direct sunlight is a distraction to my routine walks around town. Therefore, I started to think about what type of activities that I could do which would allow me to tap into my creativity in a way that felt safe and comforting, instead of distracting and dangerous.

It was with this goal in mind that I started to do research on float tanks. For those who don’t know, float tanks (also known as isolation or sensory deprivation tanks), are essentially large tubs of water filled with such a high volume of salt that it causes the individual in the tank to float.

Most float tanks are designed with the intention of being a meditative experience, and many tanks include special lighting and sound therapy in addition to the experience of floating. In…