How the Gateless Writing Method Nurtures the Creative Spirit Within
Plus the riding story that emerged from a Gateless Writing session.
“I am a trust fund baby. My parents trusted me to go fund myself.”
That was a screenshot text captured from social media and sent by my daughter to me and my husband. A “laughing so hard I had to cry” emoji followed.
We may laugh now, but the financial drain of providing confidence-boosting, brain enriching, strength building, and mental health repairing activities for our kids often left us crying, occasionally fighting. My personal interests and those of my husband frequently took a back seat to the financial and emotional needs of the kids.
Now that they have mostly fledged the nest, I’ve begun investing in myself at the “fitness center of self-care.”
First up. Writing. But as any aspiring author learns, it ain’t easy. Even if one manages to guide words from head to paper or computer, sharing the result can be terrifying. Vulnerability a mighty foe.
My writer friend, Annette Drewes, who weaves words like webs to draw people to nature, became a Gateless Writing instructor after attending a retreat and watching the process transform the creatives around her. I joined one of her early sessions and became transfixed.
Annette begins each Gateless session with a short reading and two prompts drawn from the words then dismisses the group to write in solitude based on the prompts or a subject of their choosing.
After 30 to 40 minutes of internal reflection, writers are called back to the group to share, if desired. No titles, preamble, or excuses allowed. Awkward grammar and irregular flow expected. The heart of Gateless is not about critique but encouragement to keep the writer writing.
While the writer reads, the listeners note the ways in which they were drawn to the writing. Perhaps it was the poetic or persuasive nature of the words, an alliteration, the pace.
At the conclusion of each piece, the listeners share with the author what drew them in. (Listeners address the reader as “the author” to keep the focus on the piece not the person.)
Below is an example of a story I wrote that was born during a Gateless writing experience. Annette had read a Mary Oliver poem and selected two prompts “…the light touches…” and “…dawn is a gift…”before sending us to our own tables to write. We had 30 minutes to draft what came to mind.
“Whoa,” I muttered under my breath. Wait, no. “Slowwwww,” I stammered instead. Wait. What am I supposed to say to a horse going too fast carrying a rider she knows is green? I sat heavy in the saddle, confounded. The horse stopped. Oh yeah, to exhale and sit back in the saddle is like a foot on the break.
The excitement of my first riding lesson began when I slid my tall socks into new boots and snapped the strap of my helmet. It was real. I would be riding again soon. Forty-something years had passed since I collected my first and last blue ribbon on my lesson horse, Gravel. My mind raced with that little girl zipping around a long arena, ponytail flitting from the back of a velvet helmet. Other riders walking, trotting, cantering, reversing direction as directed by the judge in the ring. Dust motes rising like we were galloping through clouds.
Creeeeeak. The heavy iron latch resisted my effort to lift it upright. Groaaaan. Both the solid wooden door and my back sighed as I opened the entry to the stall.
Star, my lesson horse, shimmered like onyx from the light that touched her from above. A white blaze trailed from the burst on her forehead. My hands traced the curve of sculpted muscles across her broad chest and flank. One would not look at her and think she had entered her golden years.
My ancient and forgetful mother repeatedly asks if I’ve relearned everything I used to know. I tell her no. There’s so much memory to mine, buried deep inside a brain that doesn’t know how to react to a body that was young when the muscle memory was formed. I don’t tell her that my knees ache when they rub the saddle. I don’t mention the effort it takes to lift that heavily decorated Western seat. I dare not tell her that my hearing aids are ineffective in the big arena with other riders and horses. That my last lesson left me shaking with brain fog, feeling unsafe without a strong tether to the instructor’s voice.
I tell her what I want to believe—that someday soon I will mount one of my daughter’s horses and follow her on her horse across the rolling farm fields that flow from the barn like waves. I’ll maintain vigilance about jack rabbits, snakes, and badgers yet remain relaxed in the saddle, no longer holding reins with white knuckles. They’ll be no need for a blue ribbon, just a happy, safe ending and another memory bound to my girl.
One of my favorite parts about Gateless Writing is the idea that arises between the reading of the prompt and settling of myself at my computer. I hadn’t been thinking about horses, but the prompt “the light touches” immediately brought my riding experience to mind.
Seven women gathered round the wooden table, provided feedback to me, “the author.” Here are some of the things that drew them in.
The connection of blue ribbon mentioned at the beginning to the blue ribbon mentioned at the end with the transformation of the goal of riding from a ribbon to being with daughter
Turns of phrase like “sitting heavy in the saddle is like hitting the breaks,” “ dust motes rising”
Names of horses (then and now) make story more real
Ancient and forgetful mother (please don’t tell my mom I used this phrase!)
Drawn into the action with short sentences that create movement, a sense of reader being on horse with rider
Auditory – whoa, wait, creak, groan
As I reflect on the comments from my Gateless group, I am reminded of how much writing can be a journey in and of itself—one that illuminates parts of ourselves we might not even realize were waiting to be rediscovered. My horse-riding memories, my daughter's horses, and the vulnerability I felt as a writer all converged.
Investing in myself again, whether through writing or other self-care practices, has become an act of reclaiming my own narrative. As I continue to explore what’s next, I find that sometimes, the greatest rewards don’t come from ribbons or accolades, but from the quiet moments of connection. So here's to the ongoing adventure of rediscovering who we are, and to the stories that shape and guide us.
GO GATELESS. Annette Drewes is offering 2-hour Gateless Writing sessions through a rural arts community grant. Some sessions are held in person in the Red Wing, Minnesota area. Others are virtual. Contact Annette for dates and times.
SELF-CARE & PET CARE. Caring for pets can take a toll on one’s mental and physical health, especially when bringing a new pet home. The best step to reduce stress on people and pets is to prepare. Read how here Dear New Pet Parent, Don’t Be A Mike Teavee.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING. Dear New Pet Parent, Don’t Be a Mike Teavee received a number of in-depth comments from readers on their experience bringing home a new pet.
Great article. My husband and I got a chuckle with -- “I am a trust fund baby. My parents trusted me to go fund myself.”
Wonderful Cindy!