Look around you and make a list of the things you see. Write each item on a separate line on the left-hand side of the page, skipping a line between each one. Next to each item on the list, write a sentence that describes what that thing is doing. Even when your first thought is that the thing is sitting there doing nothing. You might have to twist your perspective a bit … [Read more...] about Time for Action!
Opposite Seasons
Draw a line down the middle of a blank page to divide it in half. Sketch a picture of yourself on each side of the page. The left image will represent you in present time, in the season you are in right now. The right image will represent you in the season that is six months away. Add clothing, accessories, and details that show how your life and routines are … [Read more...] about Opposite Seasons
Acts of Hospitality
In Acedie and Me, the writer Kathleen Norris asks her readers to think about the tasks and chores of a day as "acts of hospitality" to yourself. That is a perspective where you are a guest and a host at the same time. When you organize and maintain your life so that things work out and move forward for you, you are playing the role of host. As a guest, you have needs and … [Read more...] about Acts of Hospitality
Field Trip to the Library
Take yourself on a field trip to the library. Go for a wander. Commit to finding something unexpected. Go down an aisle that you wouldn't ordinarily frequent. Pluck a book or two just to see what could be in it. Or lug an oversize book to a table and slowly turn the pages to enjoy the stunning photographs. The library also has plenty of interesting things that … [Read more...] about Field Trip to the Library
Read the World
The Brazilian educator Paulo Freire famously said that although we often think of reading in terms of reading words, the true activity of reading or literacy is reading the world. Write about some of the ways that you read that do not involve the reading of words. When we read words, we take in information from the printed page in order to understand something or share in … [Read more...] about Read the World