lessons from a collage: mixing your media

Jul 27, 2010 | beginner's mind, on the road

The Backstory: I’m in Taos with Jen Louden (@jenlouden) at her annual writing retreat. This is a good retreat if you’re looking to be nurtured through the creative process, particularly around writing. Havi Brooks (@havi) is teaching yoga and Dance of Shiva to get us out of our heads.

One of the activities Jen Louden does at her retreat is doing a collage about our writing. You pick images randomly and glue them down without thinking, without words or explanations. What I see in mine:

There is a superhero in each of us.
Never forget to look at the world with wonder.
Embrace the sensuality of life (color, textures, patterns, formulas, music, etc.) and let it weave threads of you life’s tapestries.
There is a superhero in each of us.
You can save the world in your own way. No act is too small or insignificant. It all counts.
Let things roll off your back.
You might get thrown for a loop, but you’ll land on your feet–once you get off your butt.
What might look like shackles might be something beautiful. And vice versa.
Every stage of life is beautiful and vital for a full experience of being human.
Let spaciousness creep into your life.
Allow yourself to drop down into deep, rich exploration.
Every culture has wisdom to share.
Everyone is looking for their own answers.

Mixing your media: I was skeptical about breaking up my writing retreat. (Read: My Critic was saying “YOU. MUST. WRITE!”) Playing with the act of creation is an effective way to get into the creative flow, especially without words. (Read: I tricked my Critic!)

In the transition between “ordinary time” and writing time, having something to focus on before dropping into creative space helps establish purposeful, mindful intention. Thanks, Jen!

I’ll have to incorporate this into my writing practice/creative time when I get home.

As always, your mileage may vary.