Visual Writing Prompts Everywhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year on my way to visit a friend ill in hospital I walked past the two statues in the above image. I was anxious about my visit but seeing the two statues caused me to stop and slow down. I was really taken in by so much of the installation that a few minutes went by without me even noticing how long I had stood there or the stream of people who passed me by. . In that moment I slowed right down and got lost in the moment. I became more present in my body and entered the hospital in a more relaxed and resourceful state to spend time with my friend.

I had a similar feeling last week on my way to a funeral. Walking along Dalston High Street in London at lunch time with busy traffic and pedestrians I glimpsed an artist at work across the street painting what looked like a watercolour. Again the scene caused me to stop and slow right down. He had leaned his easel up against a lamp post closest to the road side and despite the busy traffic roaring by he appeared fully immersed in his painting. I wanted to be him. I wanted to be the painting. He was what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes as being in his flow. When was the last time you lost track of time and found yourself engrossed in an activity that was going against the speed of everyone else around you? It can be a challenge to be the odd one out. To go at a different speed than everyone else is moving at.

Sometimes when I’m travelling in early morning London rush hour traffic I notice that when I move at a slower speed to those around me people tend to barge past me or literally move me out of the way. It can be hard to find our own rhythm and speed when the rest of the world is going so fast. When was the last time you lost track of time because of your absorption in an activity? Slow is good. Fast doesn’t always mean better. How many people walked past those statues everyday and never give them a second thought? I hate to think how much we miss in our crusade for speed and getting there quick.

Really pausing and taking in these two images allowed me to connect with the strength and resilience I felt when observing the pieces. I was able to take those qualities with me when I finally entered the hospital to spend time with my friend.

You can use images around you as writing prompts and ideas for your creativity. that’s why I love having a camera on my phone so I can capture images and scenes and then store them for later inspiration. Taking out the image today has reminded me of my friend and how much strength she showed in the final months of her time with us. It was a strength made up of so many different qualities and elements. The image is a timely reminder, a visual signpost for me to begin to piece together some of the painful feelings I still feel around her death and her leaving us at what felt like so prematurely.

Todays image as a visual writing prompt t entice you onto the page. All you have to do is to free write for 10 minutes whatever thoughts or feelings come to you from exploring the image and responding to the following prompts? You don’t have to stick with the prompts. Just write what comes.

When you look at the image how does it make you feel?

What or who does it remind you of?

Who are the two people holding hands?

What story or memory does the image evoke?