By

Yarn a Tale to Grow Flow

Have a Ball with Yarn as Prompt

Yarn is a good prompt for writing.
Squeeze a ball of yarn. It’s soft and fluffy to the touch. What metaphors or images arise from the sight or touch of the yarn?

Have yarn, will create! Using this spun thread to create connections is nothing new. The word itself has a secondary meaning, which is to spin a tall-tale, fable, or myth. There are some good reasons for this connection. First, yarns squeeze metaphors to create literary impact. Second, creatives can literally juggle  balls of yarn to consider how a plot can be twisted and turned to add drama. Finally, finger-crocheting can help knit together a dialogue or setting. Let’s look at yarn’s versatility as a writer’s tool below.

Squeeze Out Metaphor

Rubber stress balls work to help anxiety-filled writers and artists, but those made from yarn are better. Soft, fluffy, and light, they help us to squeeze metaphors while literally clamping down on them. Think about it. Maybe the logger who created the Paul Bunyan folklore had access to yarn balls while spinning tales of Paul and his blue ox named, Babe? Not familiar with the American tale? The city of Bemoiji, Minnesota’s website has detailed storylines for Paul and Babe’s travels. See more here: https://wewriteitright.com/sow-flow-visit-antique-shop/

Juggle ideas around while rotating these light-as-air balls to loosen up a plot.

Juggle Ideas Around with Yarn Balls

Perhaps juggling can loosen up a stuck plot. Without too much scientific thinking here, simply juggle three balls of yarn. Stand or sit. It doesn’t make a difference. Focus on the act of juggling the balls for five to 10 minutes, then write a journal entry about the current piece. See what types of connections altered or sprung up from the simple act of juggling. Need a refresher on how to juggle? Look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNigMfLNhpg

Finger Crochet to Knit a Tale

Want to bring a scene or a dialogue alive? Try finger crocheting some yarn at the desk. This works better seated than standing. Again, do not think too much about the creative piece. Think summer camp or study hall in middle school. Simply focus energy on doing the loops in finger crocheting for about 10 minutes. The process is what matters here, so don’t sweat the way the long link looks. Then, again, write a journal entry to note any new sensory images to add to a scene or dialogue.

Finger crochet for dialogue or scene development.

Your Turn

Creating space to allow images to pop up is important for writers and artists to yarn their tales. Frist, try to squeeze metaphors to enhance the story. Next, mix things up in a plot after juggling. Finally, use finger crocheting to knit together a scene or a dialogue. Choose any of these or all three to keep your story skills fluid.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

By

Day After Twelfth Night Stirs Flow

Flow Arrives the Morning After Twelfth Night

Red wreath brings glee.
A red berry wreath remind bears glad tidings beyond Twelfth Night.

Entering into life beyond The Twelfth Day of Christmas challenges even the most cheerful among us.  People don’t get too excited about the thirteenth day of Christmas now, do they? Yet flow arrives on the heels of such a day. Honestly, it is important to know where to look. My family packed up Christmas after attending an Epiphany service. And, I’m not going to lie, it felt a little sad. Then, I realized what was needed to keep the spirit of the holidays going into at least next month. What was it? A simple red berry wreath.

Flow Found in Red Berry

A wreath is a traditional sign to welcome those entering a home. This red berry wreath is hung on a pantry door in my kitchen for a few reasons. First, it recalls winter’s joyful landscapes. Where I live it is in the 70s during the day and down in the 40s at night.  So, the symbolism of a white door behind the red berries reminds me of the Snow Belt where I grew up. Next, it winds around on itself as a sign of infinity. Glad tidings, I am reminded, are reason for an additional smile. And, another. Finally, stir those images around to find a satisfying sense of flow to extend the joy of Twelfth Night into today –  and beyond.

Other Places to Find Flow Beyond Twelfth Night

Easily find flow and where it grows through the five senses. First, get out a journal. Next, walk around the office or house and jot down anything that smells, sounds, tastes, feels, or looks like an extension of the holiday. For example, note that the red earthen wear bowl can hold fruit such as apples on the counter. Perhaps a dash a cinnamon in coffee or on cocoa brings a jolt of joy. Finally, take this listing of sense-related phrases and quickly write a reflection on Christmas joys. No need to share it – unless that, too, brings joy.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

By

Proposals with Punch: 3 Tips So She Says, “Yes!”

Proposals that Help Cupid’s Arrow Hit Mark

Three little tips with one big results when creating a marriage proposal.
Three little tips with one big results when creating a marriage proposal.

You’ve set the scene. Decided on the biggies: The Day. The Time. The Place. But when it comes to the words, you may do as many do and wing it. “I’m pretty good thinking on my feet,” you may tell yourself. Or, maybe, you are just going for the traditional drop-to-knee and “Will you marry me?” You took the time to make a memorable setting –  a corner table at a romantic restaurant – a special day that makes hearts aflutter – say Valentine’s Day – and time – by remembering that she prefers to eat before 8:00 PM. Then why, oh why, would you throw the actual proposal to chance? Or, hit the tried and true approach, “Darling, marry me?” which is as stale as last year’s Halloween candy?

Here are three little tips. They pack a punch in the wording of a marriage proposal. So you  get the right results. In fact, the only results, you want to such an important question. The tips consist of nostalgia, creativity, and novelty.

The wording that takes a cue from things remembered works well with heirloom rings given within a traditional setting. The Nostalgia Approach calls on those things that families relate to previous wearers of the ring. The wording can come from qualities that both the ring and its future recipient have in common. Terms like “mesmerizing”, “enchanting” and “provocative” can be used in a short proposal. They speak to the traditions that are found within a time-honored keepsake being passed from one generation to the next.

The Creative Approach captures the naturalistic essence of the relationship in words and setting. For example, every couple has shared interests, which are frequently enjoyed in the form of dates. Whether it is ballroom dancing, ice skating, or seeing live theater, the wording can be based on the activity. In the example of ballroom dancing, the words, “spiral”, “twinkle” and “turn” can be added to a proposal for lively imagery of a cherished recreation.

And on to the Novel Approach. This choice finds something within a loved one’s interests and plays off the wording of the experience. Imagine this scene: A young man, who knows his girlfriend adores music boxes, hands her a crystal box. He says, “I have something I want you to wind up.” She is delighted by the the box – so finely cut that it appears to be a solid block. She tells him so, then asks how to wind it. He takes it back and says as he opens it, “I’d like you to wear it instead!” It is the surprise in the discovery that makes the Novel Approach work. I should know. I’ve been wearing that band like a song for over three decades now.

With a bit of nostalgia, a dash of creativity, and a splash of novelty, you can help Cupid’s arrow hit its intended mark. And, then, you can relax and have a lifetime to be grateful for making the effort to not sound like everyone else.