Welcome to mayBE 2015!
And Hello MAY.
Today is the start of a project in creativity. (For more info on this project, visit here.)
But I’d like to think of it a little more like a journey.
Read the entire prompt before jumping in. And remember, this shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. Don’t overthink it. Just go for it. There are no mistakes here.
mayBE 2015 PROMPT #1:
In The Faraway Nearby, Rebecca Solnit says, “A maze is a conversation; a labyrinth is an incantation or perhaps a prayer.”
Read this article first.
Check this site out for some inspiration on labyrinths.
Solnit goes on to write about labyrinths in Encyclopedia of Trouble and Spaciousness:
Compress the journey of pilgrimage into a local space, so that you may wander, may know that in order to get to your destination, you must turn away from it, become lost, spin about, and then only after the way has become overwhelming and absorbing, arrive, without having gone far. In this way it is opposite of a maze, which has not one convoluted way but many ways and no center, so that wandering has no cease or at least not a definitive conclusion. In a labyrinth you’re lost; you arrive nevertheless; and then you reverse your journey.
Warm up by drawing small spirals. Draw on a scrap paper or write in your art journal. Draw them from out to in and in to out. Draw them both turning clockwise and counter-clockwise. Draw them with your right and left hand and even with your feet if you can. Focus on the motion.
As you take a few minutes to draw these spirals, think about these questions:
What are your intentions for this journey this month?
How does that thought of getting lost make you feel?
Take your creative pulse. How do you feel creatively at the start of this project?
Do you feel like you are moving towards the centre?
Or do you feel that you are traveling outwards? Or both?
Now draw a large spiral. It can be simply a large spiral or you can try your hand at a labyrinth. Use the quote above as a guide. Surf for images of labyrinths and copy one. (It’s interesting to note if you drew the spiral going out or going in.) Use whatever medium you want.
Once you have drawn it to cover an entire page, write out your intentions within the spaces of the labyrinth. Remind yourself to focus on the process or embrace the mayBE. Whatever it is that your are open to finding or being on this journey, write it down.
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I will share my interpretation of this prompt tomorrow here. And I may share some of the kids’ creations if they give me permission.
Enjoy yourself and have faith that getting a little lost today will lead you to the most unexpected places…
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You can leave a comment below or join my top secret life explorers group on Facebook if you want to share any discoveries or explorations. Friend me and I will send you an invite! You can share your thoughts or your creative expressions there. You can also post on Instagram using #mayBE2015
I encourage collaboration even if you are just sharing with friends or a partner. There is nothing like hearing something that someone else contributes that sparks a connection in you!
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