How it works

Get ready. Do a brain dump. Pull your words. Write.

1. Gather your notebook, some scrap paper, a writing instrument, and your bag or box of Magic Words.

2. Set a timer for 3 minutes and 33 seconds.

3. Dump whatever’s on your mind onto a piece of scrap paper until the timer goes off. If it turns out to be a to-do list, set it aside for later. If it turns out to be a rant (I’m so mad at the guy who cut me off on the freeway) or nerves (I’m not sure I’m going to do this right) or something else that just wanted attention for no other reason than wanting attention, crumple it up and enjoy tossing it in the recycling.

4. Now your mind is clear. Open your bag or box of Magic Words and withdraw two cards without looking. They can be from anywhere in the deck, just make sure you have no way of seeing what they are before you choose them.

5. Look at the two words serendipity chose for you. How do they play off each other? While it’s okay to write about just one of them, the exercise is really about considering each word in the context of the other. For example, you might draw Conflict and Arrogant one day and Conflict and Kind several days later. The thoughts, feelings, and/or memories that each word triggers changes in the context of its partner word.

6. Write at least two pages in your notebook with your two words in mind. Aim for three pages, because that gives your mind and memory more time to come out and play. Sometimes it feels like one word is going to take center stage and suddenly the other word jumps out at you and it’s all about that one for a while. Sometimes the second word stays quiet. Sometimes they have equal presence. This is your exercise; write what you see fit.

7. If you feel like you pulled a dud word, reject it by concentrating on its opposite. Putting it back in the pile because you’re not in the mood defeats the purpose. Embrace the words you have been given by chance. Explore why you have a problem with it. If you get stuck at any point, write “What I really want to say about this word is …” and go from there. Actively looking for a word defeats the purpose. Practice receiving what comes to you and turning your mind to its meanings and possibilities. Let yourself celebrate, process, and commiserate. Let yourself remember, grieve, and record. Free your mind to roam the valley of what ifs and congratulate yourself on any personal growth you recognize along the way.

8. Return your cards to the deck in random locations. 

A word about writing by hand:  I have written each one of your cards by hand, just for you. As I write each word, I think about the new or latent or consistent writer who will one day hold the card in their hand and weigh its impact. I think about how I have zero control over who is going to pull which card and which other word it might pair with at any given time. I trust that every word combination is going to spark a different reaction in every writer, and that strengthens my own connection with infinite creativity–something I cherish in my mind, in my heart, and in my soul.  

The best way to tap into and let unfold what comes up with your words when you pull them from the pack is to write your thoughts, feelings, and memories by hand.
Unless it causes you pain or there’s another reason you’re unable to write several pages by hand, I insist you put the laptop, tablet, and phone away. Gift yourself with the pleasure of getting up close and personal with yourself by writing by hand. 
The process is more intimate this way, the pace more indulgent. It allows for daydreaming and interpretation. Writing by hand builds synapses, making new connections in your brain as you think and write, and it improves memory because it forces your brain to process and store information in a more detailed way. Those new connections are the key to creativity, by the way. 

Alternative uses for the Magic Words:  I introduced these words a few years ago in my journaling workshop Pen To Page, but then found them to be really popular at my annual vision board workshops and my most popular writing workshop, Two Truths & A Lie. One of my favorite writers, Janet Salsman (quoted below) started calling the Wonder Woman tin I carried the words around in “The Magic Box of Words” and it stuck. Now I use them in all of my personal narrative workshops, the Live & Thrive workshops, at retreats, and with clients who are stuck. If I’m feeling a bit all-over-the-place when I sit down to do my Daily Pages, I pull a couple of words and take up the challenge. It has worked beautifully every single time.

I work with all kinds of writers + creatives from all walks of life. Here’s a quick list of some of the ways my clients have used their Magic Words over the years:

–> sketching for 30 minutes with the two Magic Words in mind, working out the images they provoked
–> magazine collages to process feelings and replace old images with new
–> team building check-ins at work — pass the bag or box around and have each person share a thought about the words they received
–> poetry prompts for open mics
–> conversation starters with a new lover
–> inspiration for interpersonal communication problem solving
–> meditation and daydreaming (which ends up on the page later in the day)

Questions, concerns, or suggestions? Let’s chat.
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