Thanksgiving: the kick-off feast in the great American season of overeating. Setting aside the discomfort of an overfull belly, the travails of planning and executing huge meals, or your feelings about large and possibly complicated gatherings, ask yourself, "Thanksgiving aside, what constitutes a perfect meal for me?" Is it the food? The others at the table? (If there's … [Read more...] about A Perfect Meal
Imagination
Thumb’s the Word
Are writing and drawing different versions of the same thing? Or are they two entirely different activities? Spend most of your writing time drawing and see what you think. Draw your thumb. In ink. So you aren't tempted to erase and make it perfect. Simply look at your thumb and make whatever marks (lines, scribbles, curves, dots) that the details of your thumb … [Read more...] about Thumb’s the Word
Second thoughts
Divide the page into 5 areas of equal size. Write the word fun in tiny letters in one of the areas. Write clothes, travel and tired in 3 of the other areas. The fifth area stays blank. In each of the areas, write the second thought that comes to mind when you say that word to yourself. You do this by saying the first thought out loud. Yes, out loud, with your voice and … [Read more...] about Second thoughts
Combinations
In this exercise, you begin with an ordinary thought and see how many pieces you can break it into. Write down a thought. Any old thought. About the past, present, or future. About wisdom or bad advice. About nuclear physics or sculpture. Any thought that crosses your mind. No pressure to be profound. Choose a word from that thought and construct a new thought that … [Read more...] about Combinations
Questions Upon Questions
Fill a page today with questions that you don't know the answer to. The first question can be about anything at all. For the second question, pluck a word from the first question and include it in the second question somehow. Include a word from the second question in the third one, and continue like that all the way down the page. Jog your mind with question words … [Read more...] about Questions Upon Questions