What does the average person look like? What are their aspirations? What do they tend to forget? (Instead of considering everyone on the planet, you could consider a subgroup-- the average parent, bicyclist, or bill collector, for instance.) How does the average person spend their days? Who does the average person associate with? What does the average person read? How … [Read more...] about On Average
Observation
What Moves?
There's motion inside living things. Underground, motion occurs at a geologic pace. We move our bodies around and use our bodies to move other things around. We say that the sun moves across the sky. Sometimes we say that we are moved. Sometimes we say that we have moved on. It can be dizzying to look for something that is not in motion--because you won't find … [Read more...] about What Moves?
So Annoying
Water is life, right? Without it we'd all be dried out and dead. Even so, water can be really annoying sometimes. Water leaking in from somewhere. Wet clothes. Rain on your parade. Make a list of ways that water can ruin a person's day. Or tell a story about a time when water made you (or someone else) miserable. Illustrate your work, or doodle on in while you are … [Read more...] about So Annoying
Quality Comparisons
Write the letters A-Z down the left-hand side of your page. Write the name of something that begins with each letter. Consider your 26 words one at a time. Use each one to make some kind of comparison to something else. Comparisons are based on qualities. You can build a comparison by beginning with a quality--size, texture, specific gravity, durability, shape, color, … [Read more...] about Quality Comparisons
Where’s the Writing?
What is writing anyway? Words and letters in books, of course. Also clothing labels, license plates and menus. What about bar codes? Is the geologic record a form of writing? A bee dance? Write a page about writing by describing some different types of writing. You can describe where it is, what it looks like, who wrote it, who reads it, or how long it will last. Don't … [Read more...] about Where’s the Writing?