Smoothie

A friend, the Duke, once told me: “The mind is a filter."

Ever fall on your bed after a long drive, and watched miles and miles of roadways in the back of your mind’s eye? After playing a video game, ever close your eyes to go to sleep but instead watch the filmstrip of gaming images still rolling through your mind? If you pay particularly close attention to this filmstrip, you’ll notice that some of those images were never even in the video game.

The mind is taking those sensations you’ve felt for a very long time, and making it its own. If you ever get a chance, pay attention to it. It’s a pretty cool feeling. Sometimes you can even use those images as building blocks to create your own image in your mind's eye.

And what about that echo of a song you were listening to earlier in the day. You can’t help but sing it out loud can you? At the very least hum it. Currently, I have Dreamweaver filtering through my head.

Therefore, it stands to reason, that the way you structure the world around you, the people you meet, the environment you live in, work in, play in, the things you read, songs you listen to, movies you watch will float through your mind. What you feed that blender will dictate the taste of the smoothie.  The best way to accomplish something is to drown yourself in it. To get a black belt, DROWN yourself in martial arts. To be a great basketball player, DROWN yourself in basketball. To be a great writer, DROWN yourself in writing.  Isn't it awesome to think that YOU hold the power?

            A great writer pays attention to these filters, and like an advertiser, figures out how to get in to the reader’s head and feed them with the intended experiences and emotions. All five senses are engaged. Its an experience. Its lyrical. It plays like a song echoing in the caverns of your mind. However, this power leaves some responsibility on the part of the writer: to make sure he creates a positive experience that will strengthen the reader's hearts and minds. So Drink up the smoothie of awesomeness and enjoy your day!