Bare, illuminated word pools of nature
A Tiny Prompt for cultivating curiosity, creativity, wonder and presence
Welcome to this week’s Tiny Prompt - pause now, get your notepad and pen and take 10 minutes to focus and enjoy creating. Afterwards, pause again, and notice how taking this time to create has shifted your mental, emotional, physical or energetic state.
If you’ve already read the introduction below, jump straight to the prompt underneath.
Tiny prompts offer you new ways of noticing and coming into contact with the world through your senses. They guide you to cultivate wonder, curiosity, creativity and presence by becoming more intimate with your environment and the life around you. And when you re-discover the magic in everyday existence, your creativity comes to life.
Twice a month on a Wednesday, I’ll share a tiny prompt to stimulate your senses and spark your creativity awake.
You’ll receive either:
an image
a sound clip
a video
a word
And a tiny prompt to spark your writing/creativity.
Prompts may be offered in the spirit of fun and joy, depth and beauty or pleasure and succulence; they may be soulful, philosophical, serendipitous, sensual or simple and sometimes offer perspectives on the shadow and light aspects of life.
Tiny prompts are taken from my in the world explorations of the things I notice in everyday life, with an emphasis on the natural world, to encourage fresh thought and new perspectives for your creativity.
THE INVITATION
The invitation is to use the prompt to write or create in the form you most love for at least 10 minutes per week. Write a poem, a story, an article, song lyrics or use the prompt for personal journaling. If you’re a multi-media creator, it might inspire a print, a drawing or painting, a dress design or a piece of jewellery - take the prompt and create in whichever way lights you up. (The prompts will mostly be writing/story focused, however, ONE SPARK, can create multiple expressions).
WHY?
It’s not about creating something polished, or even completing anything, but rather staying open to what could emerge. Our senses connect us to the world around us. Our imaginations and creative lives need continued nourishment. Consider the prompts an opportunity to wonder, to explore and gather sparks of stories, thoughts and ideas for your personal library of creativity.
Feel welcome to share how the tiny prompts spark your creativity in the comments section for each one.
Enjoy!
Jane x
Tiny Prompt
A NOTE ON PROMPTS: You may find each prompt takes you off on a completely different tangent that has nothing to do with the original prompt – Go with it! Follow the inspiration; take a morsel, a mouthful or consume the whole prompt plate. Stay curious, trust, and see what emerges in the moment.
Today’s prompt is a nature word pool:
Set your timer for 10 minutes.
Look at the image above - (click on it to expand) - a nature word pool - think of it a bit like an oracle word deck - what words pop out? Are there words that create images in your mind or stimulate a sensory response (eg. the smell of pollen, taste of nectar, texture of deer-skin)? Gather these words in your journal.
The Prompt: Look at your gathered words - is there one or two that offer a starting point? Start there OR challenge yourself to use ALL the words you’ve written down. Another option: use all of the words on the right-hand side of the image - to write a poem. I’m suggesting a poem but follow your joy in terms of format.
If you finish a poem/piece within the 10 minutes, begin another one. Go back to the word pool and begin again.
When you start writing/creating - keep going for the whole 10 minutes even if you have no idea where it’s going. Use your writing/creating as a way to see. What images, memories, feelings or thoughts emerge? Follow the threads and don’t stop until your timer goes (or carry on if you have the time).
Enjoy and stay curious.
with love,