A Smol Practice
Finding Imagination and Playfulness in Our Writing.
There’s a lot going on in the world. I’ve been having a hard time wrestling with my need to have compassion for others while also witnessing greed and abuse of power seemingly at every turn. It helps that the people in my life are kind. Maybe there are some kind people in your life, too?
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Description Immersion
Last week I invited you to inhabit your senses on a walk.
Did you do it? I have been closing my eyes as I walk so I can smell the world around me. Olfactory perception is one of the strongest triggers of memory, and this spring the world in Seattle has a particular Pacific Northwest smell that evokes past memories and helps me feel connected and inspired.
This week, I invite you to sit down at your desk with a pen and paper, if possible.
Write down this prompt, then turn off your computer and devices.
Imagine you are an underwater creature.
What surrounds you?
What materials compose your skin?
What sounds do you hear?
What does it feel like to be living underwater?
Where is your home and who is your family?
Write. Set a timer for twenty minutes or longer and just write into this space of imagination. Don’t try to self-edit. Let whatever comes out come out. It doesn’t need to be cohesive or beautiful or anything at all. Write as if your words are a paintbrush and this is a throwaway painting on a crappy piece of paper.
You may be surprised what you find.
Why do exercises like this?
Because reality is a lot right now, and we aren’t going to make the world better unless we can imagine things totally outside of ourselves.
I’ve written about jellyfish before. I love them because they’re basically aliens to me. The way they operate is so fundamentally different than the way I operate. Yet, we share this planet.
Finding playfulness and imagination in our writing is just like finding playfulness and imagination in our lives. It’s essential for our survival. When was the last time you really played around with your writing, without thinking about what your writing would get you? If it was recently, that’s wonderful. I’m betting it may not be, if you’re at all like me.
I’d love to hear about your experience! Drop a comment after you’ve finished and tell me how it went.