Finding Something Unexpected
What is something that was unexpectedly left for you to find? And how did you respond?
What Came Out of The Journal Circle?
In the Journal Circle, we spent 5 minutes responding to this prompt in writing. Some of the ideas that came up in response to it were…
- “Gifts” from pets (not always welcome)
- Mess in the air fryer..again!
- A bottle of wine or some local produce in the holiday home
- Something you hadn’t noticed the first time around but was waiting to be discovered when you came back.
Ways to use this prompt
You might have an intuitive sense of how you want to respond to or play with these questions. In which case, go for it. If you’re feeling stuck, try one of the following…
A Journal Practice
If you have a journal practice (or you’d like to start one), use these questions to prompt your reflections. Set a timer or a word count and write freely. If you’re struggling to get started, break the question down and try free association with its different aspects.
A Playful Experiment
No one is watching. The aim isn’t to produce a finished result. Rather, it’s about giving yourself permission to play with forms and ideas. It’s a playful workout for your creative muscles. Something that, like physical exercise, benefits you across different areas and seasons of life over time.
And as with physical exercise, success is about showing up and consistently going through the motions.
The more freedom we experience in that way, the more open we become to seeing, experimenting, and connecting the dots.
Play Safe
Notice what helps you feel safe and free to play. I know some people who give themselves permission to burn or shred their word afterwards. Its temporality lets perfectionism and any anxiety about others seeing it fall away. You might use particular frames that keep it low-stakes and experimental.
Here are some example starting points. Use them as inspiration to get you going and adapt with them as you go…
Play Prompts
Take/find a photo
Take or find a photo of the thing that was unexpectedly left for you to find. What do you notice about it?
Use emojis
Pick 3-5 emojis to capture your feelings about finding this unexpected thing. If you’re feeling extra creative, draw them by hand. Define the emojis in your own words and add any associated details.
Don’t lift your pen off the page
Draw it (from imagination) with one continuous line. If you’re feeling extra brave, close your eyes and see what happens…
Write it as a news report
Frame what was unexpectedly left as the subject of a news report. Give it a headline and describe it as if it made it into the papers. Enjoy the potential absurdity!
Zoom out
Look at the object from further away. Does it change what or how you see it?
From the unexpected object’s perspective
Write about the situation from the perspective of the object in question. How did it feel being left? What did it see while it was waiting? What does it want people to know?
Leave it there
This question was inspired by our current season’s theme, “Leave it there“.
Is there something you want to leave behind? Do you want to get better at letting things go? Or maybe, the opposite, persisting with important things even when others tell you to drop it. Have you stumbled across something left somewhere, deliberately or accidentally? Do you want to leave nice things for others to discover? Maybe you’d like to get better at spotting and ignoring bait that others want you to react to. Or you want to trust your preparation and know when something is good enough, rather than sabotaging it through overpreparation.
It’s a phrase that offers a wide range of possible interpretations and angles.
We are creating this season’s Coming To Our Senses zine around this theme. It would be great to have you involved in some way, big or small! Send me a message if you’d like to explore what that might look like with me.
Share Your Discoveries
If you would like to share an experiment, creation, musings, questions, or discoveries with us in The Haven, add a post on the Activity Feed. It would be lovely to see what you’ve been up to! No pressure, of course.
