Tea (Or Eggnog) With Demons

As December sprints toward 2021, our demons are primed on the edge of their seats just waiting to demonize us with their imposition of New Year’s resolutions: Guilt, perfectionism, insecurity, procrastination, and their many outsized buddies, all waiting to gang up on us and become the center of our next attempts at an exemplary life. So how about taking a surprise approach, one they’d never expect: Ask them over for a drink! That’s right, get some tea, a cider, an eggnog (or something stronger if it would help imbue the conversation with a little holiday cheer), pour it into two cups/glasses (feel free to get a snack & two plates too...you deserve it!) and invite them in to chat it up.

Here’s the secret to a successful talk: Listen non-judgmentally to what your demon has to say. Picture what they look like, what they’re wearing, how they sound, what type of language they use, what they’ve got on their mind, how they relate to you, etc.  When you think you’ve heard enough, thank them for sharing with you, show them out and, once the door clicks closed, write a monologue, story, poem or song in their voice.

If you’re looking for inspiration, Sallie Merkel and Henry Hoke (whom we have to thank for this “Jump In” exercise) suggest that you check out Yumi Sakugawa's comic "Tea with Demons" from her book "Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One With the Universe" (abridged version available in this instagram post and video version available here).

As always, save what you write—there will be opportunities to revise, share and even write more, if you’d like. Who knows what this might be the first step toward!