Why I Love Floating
I am a quiet person, but on the inside not so much. I am a ghostwriter and confidentiality is my tagline. I am a professional keeper of secrets. I am on guard all the time; careful to hide who I know, what I know, and how I know it. Every day, I wake to the sound of urgent voices demanding my full attention. Voices saying:
“Here is my life. Write me more interesting.”
“Make me sound smarter.”
“Be funnier.”
“Be better.”
A few months ago a friend asked me, “When was the last time you wrote something for yourself in your own voice?” I stared blankly at her, because I honestly didn’t know the answer. Somewhere along the way, I guess my own voice got swallowed up…lost. The stress of that realization was overwhelming.
I was mentally exhausted.
But, then I learned about floating…
When I float, for 90 glorious minutes, I can drown out the dialogue of all the noisy characters I’m not allowed to mention. I can empty myself of all of their words and thoughts. I can drift away from the world of words and letters into a quiet awareness of shapes and color. I hear nothing except my voice whispering everything I need to hear. I’m immersed in almost spiritual waves of calming peace that can not be overstated. I feel creative and ready to create. When I emerge, I feel like I have a blank slate. A clean and clear mind. It’s like the feeling you get when you walk into your beautiful, new home before you hang the first picture. This home can be anything you want it to be and the design options have no limit. That’s how I feel when I float. Limitless.
I still write other people’s stories and I still keep their secrets. But, now all the voices are in balance. And, I’m writing again for me. Earlier this month, I wrote a collection of poetry in a single evening after a particularly incredible float session. I plan to publish it this year.
So, why do love floating? Because it helped me rediscover my voice. That’s my float story and I’m sticking to it.