Lessons from Nita Sweeney

by Nita Sweeney and Ellie Bozmarova

Nita Sweeney is a longtime meditator and published author of four books: You Should Be Writing, Depression Hates a Moving Target, Make Every Move A Meditation, and A Daily Dose of Now. Sweeney’s books are infused with her personal experiences of life, depression, running, writing, and mindfulness. 

“It felt like I had struggled and struggled and struggled to be published and be an author for almost 20 years,” Sweeney said. Her first three books were published by Mango Books and acquired by Brenda Knight. 

In a conversation with Nita, who is gregarious, introspective, and talks in stories, she revealed the relationship that sparked her mindfulness-infused writing. It started in the early 90s when she discovered Natalie Goldberg’s book, Writing Down the Bones. At the time, Sweeney was a lawyer with untreated depression. Goldberg is most known for her series of books about writing as Zen practice. 

Goldberg’s writing practice, a timed- writing exercise, helped Sweeney regain her footing in the world. It also led her to meet Goldberg in the desert of Taos, New Mexico. A fateful turn of events fueled by writing practice found Sweeney moving to Taos with her husband and working as Goldberg’s workshop assistant. She worked alongside Goldberg for nine years.

Lessons from Natalie Goldberg (and her teacher, Katagiri Roshi)

1. Continue under all circumstances. Yes, even after the latest rejection.
2. Don’t be tossed away. In life and in writing. Go back to the writing, go back to the sitting, the walking or running. Do what you’re going to do. And, if you find success, don’t get tossed away amid the hoopla. 
3. Make positive effort for the good. Even if it’s just brushing your teeth. Let your intention be to do what is good. 

Nita’s Writing Routine

Each morning Monday through Friday, Sweeney and her husband attend an online zazen session hosted by One River Zen and meditate. 

After, Sweeney goes to one of her rotating workplaces. She’s renting an office now, but also enjoys writing in coffee houses, community rooms, and libraries. 

She turns her phone off. 

She puts the phone in a drawer and locks the drawer.

She puts the key to the phone drawer in a different locking drawer, and then locks both.

This is necessary, she says, because it gives her hoops to jump through to get to the phone. Distractions are dangerous for writers who can open their email and spend two hours of writing time shopping for shoes, as I’m sure none of us can relate to.

She also uses the app, Freedom, which blocks social media and any website the user wishes to block.

She tries not to look at email until the end of the day, but it’s a work in progress, she admits. 

“If I can get to the manuscript first thing in the day, that is the best,” she says. 

She uses writing practice when feeling stuck emotionally or in a project. The simple timed practice provides space for intense emotions to flow through her. It also helps her writing. “Writing practice puts me in the present moment of that time, that scene,” she says. 

Though her routine is steady, Sweeney is a binge-writer. Her ideal writing environment is 6-8 hours in a day in a hotel room. Her schedule varies if she’s writing a book or not. 

When she’s not writing, she loves running with her yellow lab, Scarlet, and spending time with her husband. She wants to get back into running marathons. 

“People think that the teacher can give them something. But the thing they’re wanting, they have to find inside themselves. The teacher is a reflection, an example, a mentor, but ultimately you have to find it in yourself,” Sweeney says.

Nita Sweeney’s Advice for WNBA’s BOOKTALK Audience

“Figure out who you are. There are things that work for someone like Natalie Goldberg that will not work for you. Or me. It’s great to try all the things. But when somebody stands on the stage and says, “Just do this,” they’re saying that because they’ve figured out techniques and tools that work for the way their brain is wired or the particular trauma they have had in their life. Sometimes students think there’s something wrong with them because they can’t “just do it”. Find some kind of a meditation practice where it’s beyond the books, the classes. Move your body. Use the three main tools: writing practice, meditation, and movement.”

Learn more about Nita Sweeney’s work and workshops at nitasweeney.com, sign up for Nita’s newsletter, and learn more about Natalie Goldberg’s writing practice.