I realized that the last posting fell short in terms of suggesting any practical way in which such a conversation can take place – how to develop that creative interplay. I suppose that the paths into this back-and-forth are myriad. I find that I need to build a little bit of the structure for a piece of creative writing first, before the unconscious has the opportunity to open up and share a little bit of its secrets. I generally start with writing down the germ of the idea and then making a point of carrying that idea out to some sort of resolution. The idea is carried out from the beginning to the end, no matter how feathery it may seem. This attempt can be scant – perhaps only a page or two, but it gives the unconscious a sort of scaffolding upon which to climb. Connections begin to form. Little details take shape. If the unconscious mind seems to enter into this conversation, then I return to the first attempt and flesh it out a little, carrying the endeavor over the span of five to ten pages, seeing where the rational structure of the idea can be strengthened. If I am fortunate, then the unconscious continues speaking, addressing holes in the structure and offering up flashes of inspiration. Of course, the whole idea might never engage the unconscious, and the entire project peters out. But, with luck, the conversation continues over successive, ever-lengthening drafts, until it feels finished and resolves itself. The process is admittedly labor-intensive, for I go over the same plot points time and again – but each time I write down a particular action it grows sturdier, and then the unconscious has something to lean against. If I ask too much of the subconscious without the rational side being first constructed, then there seems to be just a mishmash of ideas – images, snippets of conversation, errant thoughts – accumulating on the page. There are probably as many ways into such a conversation as there are artists – this is just my way to engage both sides.

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