Write Like a Herbivore

When I trained as an NLP coach one of the first things I learned about was the difference between ‘foveal’ and ‘peripheral’ vision. And you’ll excuse the pun if I say it gave me a whole new outlook on my creative and working processes.

Foveal vision is ‘high focus mode’. It’s what a lion uses when stalking its prey, and it’s great for doing intricate tasks that require your full concentration. Peripheral vision, on the other hand, is more like ‘antelope eyes’. It’s a more relaxed focus, allowing you to be aware of your surroundings but still able to consider the task at hand.

Of course, in the great documentary of life, we’d all love to be that powerful lion prowling across the Serengeti to the accompaniment of a dramatic orchestral score. (There’s a reason the movie isn’t called ‘The Antelope King’.) However, for the vast majority of the writing process we actually need to think more like that herbivore.

Peripheral vision, you see, is where the problem-solving magic happens. It creates a more relaxed state of mind that gives us better access to our unconscious minds where all that lovely creativity bubbles away, just waiting to be unleashed. It’s a state that leads to better problem solving and lower levels of stress.

Don’t believe me? Think of all those times you’ve had an epiphany while you’ve been out on a walk, or waiting for the kettle to boil, or staring idly out of the window on the bus. That’s because you weren’t fixating on the problem, but simply letting your mind wander. In NLP we’d say you were ‘in peripheral vision’.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend hours going on nature walks or making endless cups of tea to solve every problem in your novel. You can engage your peripheral vision (and therefore your imaginative, unconscious mind) without even leaving your chair. It’s simply a case of allowing yourself to become aware of what’s going on around you, noticing (but not looking at) the corners of the room or the sunlight coming in through the window. You’re still looking at your manuscript, but with a softer level of focus that encourages a more relaxed ‘flow state’.

And by the way, we’re talking about a state of mind here, not how good your eyesight is! If you have a visual impairment, or there’s something in your current visual field that’s proving far too distracting, you can achieve the same result by listening instead. Just allow yourself to become aware of the different sounds in your vicinity, without concentrating on one in particular. (If you’re having trouble with either of these ideas, try one of the exercises at the bottom of this page to get the hang of it.)

So there you have it: a beginner’s guide to peripheral vision. Try it out the next time you’re feeling stuck on a plot point or an editing quandary. Personally, I’ve found that nine times out of ten, the answer comes to me while I’m sitting there gazing with soft focus at my computer screen. And if it doesn’t? Well, that probably just means that I need to get away from my screen and put the kettle on after all!

Two exercises to practise getting into ‘peripheral vision’

Version one: changing your visual focus

Pick a point on the wall straight ahead of you, just slightly above eye level. Focus in on it, trying to map out every single detail of the little patch that you’re staring at. Now, still keeping your eyes on that spot, just soften your focus a little, allowing yourself to become aware of the area a few inches around it. Increase that circle of awareness to a foot, then slowly make it wider and wider, until you’re aware of (but not looking at) the outermost edges of your visual field. (If this is a bit tricky, try holding out your index fingers in front of you while staring at that spot on the wall, then moving them further and further to the the sides until they disappear from your vision.)

Notice how different it feels to be more aware of what’s going on in your peripherals instead of fixating on the one spot to the exclusion of everything else. Probably a bit more relaxed and ‘zen’, amiright?

Version two: changing your ‘audio’ focus

Pick a sound going on around you, maybe a ticking clock or the noise of the traffic outside. Focus on that sound, trying to hear every single detail of it, every word or every tiny little change in pitch. Now, still keeping that sound foremost in your mind, just expand your awareness to any other sounds going on, whether inside the room or outside, quiet or loud. Still keep your ‘ear’ on that first sound, but just allow yourself to acknowledge the other ones too.

Notice how different it feels to be tuning in to one sound, versus your more relaxed state as you let the other sounds wash over you too. You’re now in the audio version of ‘peripheral vision’!

This article is adapted from one I first published on my coaching website. You can read the original here.