I’ve decided fossicking is good for writing. Ferreting around in junk and seeing what turns up is a lot like what we do each day at our desks. Picking things up, turning them over this way and that, rummaging through a pile of stuff that looks like garbage but yields a fabulous find at the bottom of the pile. So familiar! Taking yourself away from your desk for a bit and physically rummaging is a lot like the ruminating benefits of cleaning. Scrubbing the floors or the bath, having a big clean out in your office or garage is all good for ordering the mind. A lot of writers fear they may be procrastinating (and they may well be if they keep it up day after day) but I find after such a break, I bounce back to my desk with renewed energy as if I had been at the same time putting the broom through my writing.

Read more about my Moroccan seaside residency when this idea occured to me.