I know, I know, nobody irons any more. Knits, and/or the super-casual look, are in. Certainly ironing is not one of my favorite chores, but I’m old-fashioned enough to enjoy wearing ironed clothes—even jeans! My problem was how to fit it in with the writing I wanted/needed to do. I found a way.
The room where I keep the ironing board (also a sewing/craft/miscellaneous room—AND the guest room!) is next to my office, so before I begin a short ironing stint (usually 20 minutes to half an hour) I bring up my current manuscript, or a blank page, or my computer. As I iron a few clothes, I begin thinking about what I’m going to write. As ideas occur to me, I slip into my office and type them. Maybe it’s an outline; other times it’s a paragraph or two on a first draft. Then, when I’m ready to leave the “ironing room,” I can get right to work on whatever is on my computer screen.
I don’t do all my ironing at one time, so when I return to it another day, I repeat the process. As I smooth out tops, pants, shirts, pillow cases, and yes, jeans, I’m in and out of my office, revising, changing, making notes on new ideas.
This process has a three-fold benefit. 1) It helps me avoid writers’ block, or the simply staring at a blank page, 2) it’s something creative to think about while I do the mindless task of ironing, and 3) the ironing actually seems to go a lot faster! Call me crazy, but it works for me!
Contributed by Marjorie Flathers
