tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13744319101411394182024-02-21T05:11:24.479-08:00WordplayFinding the Words to Say It.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-23256235348797066282010-01-01T19:38:00.000-08:002010-01-02T12:14:50.935-08:00Wordplay Challenge #26: The BlurtI'm a blurter. Are you a blurter? <div>So often (probably too often) I just say what's in my head, </div><div>regardless of whether it follows logically from what's already been said. </div><div><br /></div><div>This vice can actually be a virtue, though, </div><div>as you'll find in this challenge, </div><div>which is, simply, to blurt out any thoughts that come to mind,</div><div>pick your favorite(s), </div><div>and continue journaling from there. </div><div>Even the most illogical or random thought</div><div>is rooted somewhere in our experiences or desires or confusions,</div><div>so why not pursue that non sequitur</div><div>or that faux pas </div><div>and give it the glory it deserves? </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some of my recent blurts: </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">I spend too much time becoming rather than being.</span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">(This one, while doing dishes. I could see this "blurt" being developed into a page all about my conflicting views of timing and planning versus seizing the day).</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://wordplaywordwork.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-be.html">ETA: Check out my blog to see where this thought took me. </a><br /></span></i><div><div><i><br /></i><div><div><i>I love the moonlight.</i></div><div>(This one, while staring up at a red moon -- which should have been a blue moon -- through a cloud of firecracker smoke, ignoring the aerial fireworks around me. I could see this "blurt" included in a reflection about New Year's Eve and what's truly worth noticing and appreciating in the world around me). </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Exercise is just not my thing. </i></div><div>(This one, as I add "exercise" to my list of resolutions anyway. I could use this to jump start a calendar page or a mini album documenting my progress over the year).</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Her beauty astounds me. </i></div><div>(This one, as my daughter flicks and jabs my husband, in a most unladylike manner. I could use this to expound upon what makes my daughter beautiful in my eyes). </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The dimming of the afternoon sunlight makes me wistful. </i></div><div>(This one, just now as I look outside the window. I can see this working into something more symbolic, maybe a page built around a photo of the sunlight on the leaves outside, with the journaling not really about the photo, but more "around" the photo). </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>See how it's done? </div><div>Blurt away! </div></div></div></div></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-50164188601356649742009-12-01T18:47:00.000-08:002009-12-01T18:53:46.903-08:00Wordplay Challenge #25: One Day at a TimeThere are many wonderful ways to document your holidays, but if you're short on time, why mince words? Try a calendar approach, documenting each day with a single phrase, line, or description that documents an event (trimming the tree), expresses a sentiment (gratitude, joy), documents a memory (making snow angels), or records an observation (shorter days, longer nights). It's definitely a can-do, no-stress project.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-83542984258378294962009-10-25T12:11:00.000-07:002009-10-25T12:18:15.964-07:00Wordplay Challenge #24: Part: Whole<div style="text-align: left; ">Who says that journaling needs to be in complete sentences and paragraphs, a cohesive, unified block plunked down on a page? This time around, challenge yourself to "dissect" a photo into various parts, using a common theme or thread in your writing to unify the whole:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdXS77IWFUOfMBXqqP0q_vLw1swPAoWDxZ1qWAHLRPi1DK9Yq30nQz-iTYzCGnG6VtotD1X2VkrsTMK8PcE7Tm855pWI4HYgVprXYdvLJqTyc60CPqtFxfqkWTkgr2INsnDu6SjwC9fYb/s1600-h/Dog+Anatomy.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 397px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdXS77IWFUOfMBXqqP0q_vLw1swPAoWDxZ1qWAHLRPi1DK9Yq30nQz-iTYzCGnG6VtotD1X2VkrsTMK8PcE7Tm855pWI4HYgVprXYdvLJqTyc60CPqtFxfqkWTkgr2INsnDu6SjwC9fYb/s400/Dog+Anatomy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396619013297245506" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">In this layout, I pointed out my sweet (but stubborn) pup's features, explaining what each one was for in her day-to-day life. The "unifier" is kind of a punchline in each section of text -- I mention how, despite these functioning parts, she doesn't use any of them to actually listen to us with any regularity. :) She's her own woman.</div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-5456177368609913932009-10-09T20:57:00.001-07:002009-10-09T21:02:05.431-07:00Wordplay Challenge #23: Like a PrayerToday I attended a prayer service celebrating the life and legacy of Father Damien, who will shortly become Saint Damien. One of the most beautiful parts of the service was the responsorial psalm, in which verses are sung and a refrain is repeated after each verse. <div><br /></div><div>This led me to wonder whether the approach would work on a scrapbook page, and I think it will.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the "verses," expand upon a chosen theme, but keep bringing the writing back to a single repeated line, the "refrain." Each time the line is repeated, it will become even more meaningful. Tell a story, express your feelings, celebrate someone, give thanks or praise. Whatever you choose to say, lift it up and set it free on your page. </div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-80791017506710338352009-09-06T12:43:00.001-07:002009-09-06T12:47:56.879-07:00Wordplay Challenge #22: I VowIn honor of my mother's upcoming nuptials, this challenge is all about the promises we make. These are the promises that change our lives and give those lives focus. These could be wedding vows, vows to be a good parent, vows to accomplish a long-time goal, or vows to kick a nasty habit. Whatever your vows may be, put them in writing. Make it official.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-89162983113500930902009-08-18T21:29:00.000-07:002010-07-28T15:51:10.486-07:00Wordplay Challenge #21: Commit It to MemoryThis week's challenge is based on an assignment that my eighth graders are working on this week. Inspired by Langston Hughes's poem "Aunt Sue's Stories," they are retelling family stories that they would like to continue to pass down through the generations. Some students are writing stories, while others have chosen to compose narrative poems. <div><br /></div><div>Each day this week, we have heard stories about births and adoptions, escapes from war-torn countries and immigration to new countries, arranged marriages and romantic elopements, and moments that tore families apart and pulled them together. I've been amazed and overwhelmed to discover which stories these young people have identified as truly valuable, stories that they will no doubt share with their own children someday. <div><br /></div><div>As storytellers and memory keepers, we are responsible for finding ways to ensure that our family histories survive. The oral tradition is one way of doing this, but by recording these stories in our scrapbooks, we "commit" them to memory. </div><div><br /></div><div>This time around, our challenge is to find a way to document a story that you hope each generation of your family will remember. It is a chance for us to remember (and I know I've used this before) "what it would impoverish us to forget," as Frost once said</div><div><br /></div><div>Even if you don't have a photo, tell the story. If you feel the need to include a photo, consider taking a photo of something symbolic -- something or someone that represents the story that you are documenting.</div></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-51542494210896951352009-07-26T01:01:00.000-07:002009-08-01T02:07:12.757-07:00Wordplay Challenge #20: Take My Word For ItBecause it talks <i>about</i> someone rather than <i>to</i> someone, writing from a third person point of view (she/he/it) can be distancing. This time around, our challenge is to make a connection. Use a combination of first person (I/we) and second person (you) pronouns, and share your own perspectives with the subject of your layout. <div><br /></div><div>In the layout below, I addressed my journaling to my cousin Shelly, who just graduated from college and is about to embark on her nursing career. As a teacher, I am also in a service-oriented vocation, and so I shared what my experiences have taught me, making a connection between my vocation and hers.<br /><div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Yp5v9yGzeXaPUKvyx75nIt0MDj4nE9ZTykPXYEpboheYoVrL7omdSQc8JXFPIJ6Nj21xwq8MAc3E71jmgCsVjicHmqWsQpuOeqG9gXSC1e1RO4-a31m4t8dlfjIpJogSLqyXh9qkGxRW/s1600-h/Called+to+Service+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Yp5v9yGzeXaPUKvyx75nIt0MDj4nE9ZTykPXYEpboheYoVrL7omdSQc8JXFPIJ6Nj21xwq8MAc3E71jmgCsVjicHmqWsQpuOeqG9gXSC1e1RO4-a31m4t8dlfjIpJogSLqyXh9qkGxRW/s400/Called+to+Service+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362676471269895906" /></a>The patterned paper reinforces the message, and vice-versa. I love text paper for this reason -- when it's well-chosen, it functions beautifully as subtext, extending the theme of the layout. </div></div></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-87268195818912918862009-07-07T17:37:00.000-07:002009-07-07T17:58:18.731-07:00Wordplay Challenge 19: The Big ButThere's much to be said about the power of word choice and its effect on our writing. However, this week's challenge is not about show-stopping, descriptive, or evocative words. It's about a three-letter word that we tend to overlook -- a word that, despite seeming visually insignificant, is more than a little blip in a sentence. It has the power to make meaning, to show contrast, to change the trajectory of an idea. <div><br /></div><div><i>But.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, but. The conjunction "but" is a tiny word that can pack some power, if used with intention in your journaling. </div><div><br /></div><div>Consider a page that expresses your fears, doubts, or misgivings, and then think about what the addition of "but" could do to some of those sentences: </div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div>"Since I was a child, I have had a fear of deep water, but that is slowly changing."</div><div>"These days, I am a worrier, but I wasn't always that way." </div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><div>The use of "but", in introducing contrast, invites the writer to elaborate further. In a page that documents change or the desire for change, the word "but" is a tiny key that open doors, releasing more words in the process. </div><div><br /></div><div>You can also use the idea behind the conjunction "but" without using "but" at all. Transitions such as "despite," "however," "although," "nevertheless," and "regardless" can establish contrast as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Try jotting down a few sentences, experimenting with these words. Aim for statements that are true, and perhaps the idea for your next scrapbook page or mini-album will be the result of this "wordplay." </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-45688422769944773642009-06-21T21:37:00.001-07:002009-06-21T21:45:55.990-07:00Wordplay Challenge 18: Pater Familias<div>What do you want to remember about your father? <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As someone who no longer celebrates Father's Day with her father, this day is sometimes more reflective for me than celebratory. Still, my father's story is tied to my own story. This week's challenge is to try to capture in words (and pictures, if you have them) your relationship with your father, for better or worse. </div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-6806236219906359752009-06-05T23:22:00.000-07:002009-06-05T23:33:41.234-07:00Wordplay Challenge 17: In Other('s) WordsSometimes it takes another's words to get your own words flowing. Quotations always make for easy journaling "substitutes" on layouts. However, remember that while quotations may serve as a stand-in for your sentiments, they cannot replace your own voice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This week's challenge is to use a quote as a springboard for your own journaling. </span><br /><br />For instance, consider the following:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Life is the flower to which love is the honey." -- Victor Hugo</blockquote><br />While this eloquent analogy is beautiful on its own, it also invites you to reflect on the "honey" in your life, and capture the sweetness of a special relationship.<br /><br />So this week, take that quote a step further. Put it in context. Elaborate.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-75756208890573868412009-05-17T19:36:00.000-07:002009-05-17T19:37:47.233-07:00Bad Girls Kits: Journal Moment<span style="font-weight: bold;">Journal Moment with Jill<br />May 2009</span><br /><span style="line-height: normal;font-size:150;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In Defense of Journaling</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />We tell stories because, in order to cope with the present and to face the future, we have to create the past, both as time and space, through narrating it. </span><br />-- W.F.H. Nicolaisen<br /><br />Robert Frost described his chosen form of expression, poetry, as <span style="font-weight: bold;">“a way of remembering what it would impoverish us to forget.” </span> The same can be said of any form of expression that seeks to unite words and images, emotions and memories. The “scraps” of memory that exist in our albums come together page by page, moment by moment. They document a story that has neither a beginning nor an ending; it is <span style="font-weight: bold;">a chapter in time, a story among stories</span>.<br /><br />Imagine, however, a moment suspended in time within a photograph, visually present, but voiceless. If you do not tell the story or seek the words to release this moment from the “frame” that contains it, who will? Are the patterned papers and accents that surround your photo enough to help someone who does not share the memory to infer its meaning? How do the pages of your albums share who you are, who and what you love, all that you value? Do they present a realistic or idealistic view of your world? How do they give voice to experience? <span style="font-weight: bold;">How do you “frame” memory within your pages?</span><br /><br />Writer Angela Carter once claimed, “As the past becomes more and more unlike the present…more and more we need to know who we were in greater and greater detail in order to be able to surmise what we might be.” Even if you create your layouts for you, with no audience in mind, know that <span style="font-weight: bold;">memory is unreliable</span>. You may create for the “you” of today, but what will make these pages meaningful for the “you” of tomorrow? Words. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> The power of your voice.</span> A belief that you have something to say, a story to tell…even if no one is listening…yet.<br /><br />Sometimes those words can be difficult to find, and many of us add journaling on our layouts – if indeed, we ever add it – as an afterthought. While there is nothing wrong with relegating journaling to the end of one’s creative process, <span style="font-weight: bold;">it is important that journaling be given the same respect and care</span> that went into composing and editing the photos, selecting and arranging the papers and accents, using special techniques, and designing the page itself. Adding words just for the sake of adding words isn’t the point. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Choose</span> your words. Make them count. Make them meaningful.<br /></span><br />How exactly does one do this?<br /><br />The answer really is simple: <span style="font-weight: bold;">you need to care </span>about what you say. If you don’t feel connected to the words that you commit to paper, then revise, revise, revise.<br /><br />There are several <span style="font-weight: bold;">strategies for bridging the journaling “gap”</span> – the distance between images and words.<br /><br />- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Embrace a writing process.</span> You are less likely to be dissatisfied with your journaling if you don’t write “blind”. Just as you “compose” a layout, compose your journaling as well. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Don’t underestimate the power of drafting and revising. </span>I usually “unload” on computer or in a notebook (and sometimes on a piece of scrap paper), getting out all of the thoughts in my head. I look back at what I’ve written, searching for a few key phrases, words, or themes that catch my attention. I then try a new approach, using what I noticed from the first try as a springboard for another draft. By the second or third draft, my journaling is much more focused and cohesive – and much more powerful. Fear of “messing up” can cripple us, but there is no “messing up” if you give yourself room to be messy in draft form, and then clean it up later. I often compose on a computer, and then write directly on the layout by hand, as I did with this layout:<br /><br /><img style="width: 409px; height: 407px;" src="http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n45/prisoner47/Teacherv2sm.jpg" alt="Image" /><br /><br />- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Link the content</span> of your journaling to the image itself, and/or to the elements on your layout. Build on a recurring theme. Try to share something that isn’t understood by simply looking at the photo. For instance, in the layout below, I could have just labeled the photo, "Rob and Jill" and added the date. However, the journaling that I added is about what is happening between "Rob and Jill," about the changes that are occurring, and the way that I am feeling about taking a leap. The idea of "taking a leap" led me to use a metaphor in my journaling.<br /><br /><img style="width: 430px; height: 545px;" src="http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n45/prisoner47/jill1sm.jpg" alt="Image" /><br /><br />- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Write with a specific person in mind. </span> This has drastic effects on the tone of your writing. Even if the page is not intended for a particular person, using the second person pronoun, “you,” establishes a greater degree of intimacy on the page. It will also push you to make word choices that more fully express the emotion that you feel toward this person. You can even write to yourself.<br /><br />- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Avoid clichés. </span> A cliché is an overused expression. While you may think that it says all that you need to say, it often does not; it does not speak to the specificity of experience. You are an individual, and your memories and emotions do not deserve to be documented in generic phrasings. In a first draft, clichés often appear. As you revise, try to identify them and rephrase them using more precise language. If you absolutely can’t avoid using a cliché, at least try to follow up with a few sentences or phrases that elaborate on what you mean. In a layout that I made for my mom, "I Love You, Mom," I knew that the title might come across as somewhat...predictable. The journaling clarifies that title; while other people may say "I love you, Mom" comfortably and easily all the time, I sometimes struggle with it...and I don't want things to be that way.<br /><br /><img src="http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n45/prisoner47/Jill3b.jpg" alt="Image" /><br /><br />- If you do save journaling for last, and you are having trouble generating ideas, <span style="font-weight: bold;">walk away </span>from a layout for an hour, an afternoon, a day, or more. Spend some time thinking about what you have created, and let the connections germinate in your mind. Whether you realize or not, at this time, you will be composing a mental “draft”, reflecting on the meaningful connections to what you have created and how you want to express those connections using your voice.<br /><br />Do you have other strategies for establishing meaningful connections between words and images on your layouts? If so, please share!Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-80007436279260989762009-05-10T23:20:00.000-07:002009-05-10T23:29:05.573-07:00Wordplay Challenge 16: The Mother Lode<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8HIB-uFBbSOQowGbXUkbDmQfDUwfjG30W-7o2Cxgt1IXaukfjcW6GqXUPA1fz-XQWnIWB1ol6u_XeMiVcE0BOkCdHHMwy-1y6TAoejdL60LiEPbYk-QJ9RqkMT-WG650Wbcw-i_MJewz/s1600-h/mom+momma+mommy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8HIB-uFBbSOQowGbXUkbDmQfDUwfjG30W-7o2Cxgt1IXaukfjcW6GqXUPA1fz-XQWnIWB1ol6u_XeMiVcE0BOkCdHHMwy-1y6TAoejdL60LiEPbYk-QJ9RqkMT-WG650Wbcw-i_MJewz/s320/mom+momma+mommy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334448302523993346" border="0" /></a><br />Today is Mother's Day -- which means that it is the perfect opportunity to create a page about your mother, your identity as a mother (if you are one), your views on motherhood and parenting, or a "mother" that you admire.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40RzcvFk5QFALSv_puOBVSRQyar_eJ-JRpxhLJuH_GC8zTUQMgRez_xA4BhWz93NHvDeX2kwRwe9XD5icSEglNwyhJw6qV1dkXbdv9BAER2le8cRvFch40FLrQ81U3YXcb3rNbm-M1fsH/s1600-h/mom+mama+mommy++lo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40RzcvFk5QFALSv_puOBVSRQyar_eJ-JRpxhLJuH_GC8zTUQMgRez_xA4BhWz93NHvDeX2kwRwe9XD5icSEglNwyhJw6qV1dkXbdv9BAER2le8cRvFch40FLrQ81U3YXcb3rNbm-M1fsH/s320/mom+mama+mommy++lo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334448298413063570" border="0" /></a>As you compose your journaling, try to get to the heart of the matter. It can be difficult to write about motherhood, since so many intense emotions are involved. Try freewriting if you feel overwhelmed by words, and then work on eliminating words that distract from the heart of your message.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LJplbVB2nDnljFk5Fw3hwOG7N5Y8e_mTEXuC1KWq8Ahc0acwTsabIHzSK8JJAXI_bA3Gx9Wnm2979t0iA_D3hTQRYOl3xqcsii9P7ywvhcka0z9NRFUP2-t-lle8A61bNtheXJWKfP8c/s1600-h/Mom+%28Sri%27s+NSD+mom+challenge%29+sm.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LJplbVB2nDnljFk5Fw3hwOG7N5Y8e_mTEXuC1KWq8Ahc0acwTsabIHzSK8JJAXI_bA3Gx9Wnm2979t0iA_D3hTQRYOl3xqcsii9P7ywvhcka0z9NRFUP2-t-lle8A61bNtheXJWKfP8c/s320/Mom+%28Sri%27s+NSD+mom+challenge%29+sm.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334448400562033042" border="0" /></a>You may find the use of repetition helpful, in that it will ground you in a kind of rhythm, a pattern, that will make your journaling more cohesive and meaningful. On the first page, I repeated words ("so") and syntax ("you are here, you are home, you are mine"). On the second page, I repeated the word "or" and used a listing approach.<br /><br />Good luck!Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-77615645306892099972009-05-05T00:34:00.001-07:002009-05-05T00:35:53.396-07:00Wordplay Challenge 15: Mission StatementEvery day at school we recite a mission statement.<br />It's all about what we strive to do and be as as school.<br />This week's challenge is to write a personal mission statement.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-13006831282557167532009-04-26T21:29:00.000-07:002009-04-26T21:37:44.504-07:00Wordplay Challenge 14: Feelings First<span style="font-style: italic;">since feeling is first</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> who pays any attention</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> to the syntax of things</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> will never wholly kiss you;</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> wholly to be a fool</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> while Spring is in the world<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: right;">-- e.e. cummings<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This week "feeling is first".<br />Grab a photo.<br />Write down three emotions that come to mind.<br />Put each emotion into a sentence, filling those sentences with words that capture your feelings in their rawest form. Don't worry about paying "attention to the syntax of things" -- just let it out.<br /><br />Then scrap it!<br /></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-86621740392637110982009-04-15T20:19:00.001-07:002009-04-15T20:20:57.603-07:00A Perfect SpoonfulI finished the layout that I mentioned in yesterday's post. Now I'm really (really) needing some ice cream. Sheesh.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAuULb5BfMwBQ8KnaYYOUcqFbBwlTNwmntGaYYkHhImbejF7UTq66jDqJwsC2RUST97EH1ZiZnENAIy-bkbxuILTljw-OMxGtD_cGMY6MvbVZWRTgRmkjB9Skek9h64SlgNU1CuyAA998/s1600-h/a+perfect+spoonful+sm.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAuULb5BfMwBQ8KnaYYOUcqFbBwlTNwmntGaYYkHhImbejF7UTq66jDqJwsC2RUST97EH1ZiZnENAIy-bkbxuILTljw-OMxGtD_cGMY6MvbVZWRTgRmkjB9Skek9h64SlgNU1CuyAA998/s320/a+perfect+spoonful+sm.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325123995284463906" border="0" /></a>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-29219696024275552042009-04-14T20:00:00.000-07:002009-04-14T20:16:54.449-07:00Wordplay Challenge 13: Sensory LanguageI'm currently working on a page about my favorite ice cream flavors, mint chocolate chip and very berry strawberry. I need to have one scoop of each in the same cup, so that a little of strawberry mixes with a little bit of mint and chocolate, forming the perfect spoonful. It's weird, I know, but it's just the way I like it. As I prepare to write the journaling for this page, I'll challenge myself to appeal to sight, taste, and touch.<br /><br />This week's challenge is to use language to <span style="font-style: italic;">show</span>, not tell. Describe a person, a place, an activity, or any subject, really, drawing upon your five senses to make your language as vivid as possible. Rather than say that something "smells good," share what you smell. Rather than say that something "tastes delicious," share what you taste. Rather than use words such as "pretty" or "beautiful," explain what you see. Be detailed. Be specific.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-29042470127731097032009-04-05T22:27:00.000-07:002009-04-05T22:34:38.921-07:00Wordplay Challenge 12: You Had to Be ThereThis week's challenge is to gather up all of the inside jokes, nicknames, memorable events, and the miscellany that define one of the special relationships in your life. I used this approach on a layout that I made about my friend Angie back in 2007. Here' s a close-up of the journaling on this page. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAuA3m2pLF1TcRuUnygS9K9Dh8tl7PRlkIYnZdbDzBHkjNqNaINykRHusK4_gRp4LkazFsrJ5Jo3drpWg7R9_UGjrxqHM_cqzy0sxdTOOVFv06YAuRvYd3dSoBVHuckkbgsXg_Z3xlB7o/s1600-h/We+Go+Way+Back+detail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifAuA3m2pLF1TcRuUnygS9K9Dh8tl7PRlkIYnZdbDzBHkjNqNaINykRHusK4_gRp4LkazFsrJ5Jo3drpWg7R9_UGjrxqHM_cqzy0sxdTOOVFv06YAuRvYd3dSoBVHuckkbgsXg_Z3xlB7o/s320/We+Go+Way+Back+detail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321446727102320338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-V8cLrCXabWGJkbmiyRJgMfVTT1wJG4mIdc3vJlUeM32yd7vwGJJCRhLkO4TPwh5Eb6ewZVQoOBftHy3p8nm3OLuNW6CvjiSPQsOMou5AM1fMIs6Zyuhwiy-8Jz-v8eQhyEjnSs-0Tlp/s1600-h/We+Go+Way+Back+smaller.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-V8cLrCXabWGJkbmiyRJgMfVTT1wJG4mIdc3vJlUeM32yd7vwGJJCRhLkO4TPwh5Eb6ewZVQoOBftHy3p8nm3OLuNW6CvjiSPQsOMou5AM1fMIs6Zyuhwiy-8Jz-v8eQhyEjnSs-0Tlp/s320/We+Go+Way+Back+smaller.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321447052464003010" border="0" /></a>I'm planning to put this approach to good use in one of my upcoming layouts.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-12531381671504444012009-03-29T13:01:00.001-07:002009-03-29T13:03:40.991-07:00Wordplay Challenge 11: What You SeeThis week's challenge is to document your surroundings -- no place too big or small, too neat or messy, too cramped or comfortable. Take it all in and jot down what you see. Capture the details that stand out to you.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9CeAmDmdRzTfK3BdH-V-C85EjTDbVJDMKXncLrEWyDT62SuEuGs2DbKfpvz-3gq9Uq96gw3IQot1zPOfGr-uu_63Yn-rFukHqYJXJl3C_xKVlkaiXgAnGqMYVsMBGCNuCW5MpnOkV5j1/s1600-h/In+Her+Room.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9CeAmDmdRzTfK3BdH-V-C85EjTDbVJDMKXncLrEWyDT62SuEuGs2DbKfpvz-3gq9Uq96gw3IQot1zPOfGr-uu_63Yn-rFukHqYJXJl3C_xKVlkaiXgAnGqMYVsMBGCNuCW5MpnOkV5j1/s320/In+Her+Room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318702851336208386" border="0" /></a>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-4324670585990876452009-03-20T00:59:00.001-07:002009-03-20T00:59:51.710-07:00Sorry about the delay...It's been crazy around here lately. I'll try to update this weekend.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-49714819022793934922009-03-10T01:29:00.000-07:002009-03-10T21:47:27.965-07:00Wordplay Challenge 10: Top TenToday I've been thinking a lot about lists, as you can see in <a href="http://wordplaywordwork.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-goes-around.html">this post</a>. This week's challenge is to journal in list form -- but not just any list. This list should build to a point. Whether you count down or count up, use your list to say what you want or need to say.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-70252255740281526412009-03-01T12:23:00.000-08:002011-02-13T19:10:00.903-08:00Wordplay Challenge 9: Old BusinessIt's March, which means that spring will soon be here, as will the whole spirit of spring cleaning. Before we look ahead to the new, though, it's time to acknowledge the old. This week, take care of some "old business":<br />
<br />
something unresolved<br />
something for which you are still seeking closure<br />
something that revisits you in dreams<br />
something that comes back to bite you in the butt every so often<br />
something that needs to be put back into its box<br />
some story left unfinished<br />
<br />
You get the idea. The challenge this week isn't necessarily to resolve the unresolved or to give up the ghost, but to put the old business back on the table and address it directly. It's time.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-14107837723519772192009-03-01T11:53:00.000-08:002009-03-01T11:58:25.660-08:00Catching UpI've been swamped lately, but I haven't forgotten these challenges! Although I plan to go back and make full-scale layouts later for the last two prompts, I touched on both in a mini-album that I made with the March Bad Girls kit.<br /><br />I talked about my page-tapping habit (Wordplay 7, "That Thing You Do") and...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qj7IHOIeMxAKSXPpNy7opNZMvoOKtaBQJolZnGz-wtZknLBHN0JuCvmyNAeZkA7PtD3UQxucflEnJj-9_2b10Rv0tVoI8HyhON1a2Ohrkfwvn8GZfE4Fio1GCFFmrwSbwIy_b4iyKFbZ/s1600-h/page-7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qj7IHOIeMxAKSXPpNy7opNZMvoOKtaBQJolZnGz-wtZknLBHN0JuCvmyNAeZkA7PtD3UQxucflEnJj-9_2b10Rv0tVoI8HyhON1a2Ohrkfwvn8GZfE4Fio1GCFFmrwSbwIy_b4iyKFbZ/s320/page-7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308310044984438850" border="0" /></a>I actually photographed my foot (ugh) and wrote about why it is that I never paint my toenails (Wordplay 8, "Body Bio").<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLN5SiQioLLXI0hTZJD7g8EWmkPGNDdyv0yQm1y1wEf9Ya5RoXmSb5IhPcoUu8wvQD9IU535aCcbHCXov6QVYjTWbKTShKEPE9ho435v2OdaSKarA8BoBDHrdWCiV9jSRBxp0SBgpohKD/s1600-h/page-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLN5SiQioLLXI0hTZJD7g8EWmkPGNDdyv0yQm1y1wEf9Ya5RoXmSb5IhPcoUu8wvQD9IU535aCcbHCXov6QVYjTWbKTShKEPE9ho435v2OdaSKarA8BoBDHrdWCiV9jSRBxp0SBgpohKD/s320/page-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308310045534656194" border="0" /></a>I've still got more ideas mulling around inside my head for these two challenges, so I know I'll be revisiting them soon!Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-14571775581297730362009-02-23T21:43:00.000-08:002009-02-23T21:51:31.507-08:00Wordplay Challenge 8: Body Part BioThis week, choose one of your body parts -- the more interesting the relationship, the better -- and tell its story. What have your eyes seen? Why do your ears hang low? Does your belly button enjoy being an outie? Why do your legs feel loved only when they're wearing jeans? <br /><br />This one should be interesting...Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-20909318496778129902009-02-14T19:25:00.001-08:002009-02-14T19:27:08.077-08:00Wordplay Challenge 7: That Thing You DoThat thing you do: you know what it is.<br />You know why you do it.<br />You know how other people react to it.<br />Do tell.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1374431910141139418.post-51118452290833935272009-02-12T19:32:00.000-08:002009-02-12T19:38:07.478-08:00ImperfectNow that my cold and cough are under control, I'm finally getting some scrapping action once again. It's about time!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfju3i1b2gYfHH_zsTOdcHzb2l2YiUjcbL-evVqRYsiUgNmcjdeLpxMQbSrYI57HR_AXU757ccKPIaM3tbPrS9iJ_IdqabaHQABd_oi0nsLmKwRHLsPalJFZKxqE0hmm_lQp2NL7_RUrrV/s1600-h/Imperfect+by+Jill+Sprott.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfju3i1b2gYfHH_zsTOdcHzb2l2YiUjcbL-evVqRYsiUgNmcjdeLpxMQbSrYI57HR_AXU757ccKPIaM3tbPrS9iJ_IdqabaHQABd_oi0nsLmKwRHLsPalJFZKxqE0hmm_lQp2NL7_RUrrV/s320/Imperfect+by+Jill+Sprott.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302120466048466562" border="0" /></a>This is my "imperfect" page documenting my "Imperfect" love poem.Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08485448859799399653noreply@blogger.com0