Wordplay Challenge 16: The Mother Lode

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.

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.
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.

Good luck!

Wordplay Challenge 15: Mission Statement

Every day at school we recite a mission statement.
It's all about what we strive to do and be as as school.
This week's challenge is to write a personal mission statement.

Wordplay Challenge 14: Feelings First

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;
wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world

-- e.e. cummings

This week "feeling is first".
Grab a photo.
Write down three emotions that come to mind.
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.

Then scrap it!

A Perfect Spoonful

I finished the layout that I mentioned in yesterday's post. Now I'm really (really) needing some ice cream. Sheesh.

Wordplay Challenge 13: Sensory Language

I'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.

This week's challenge is to use language to show, 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.

Wordplay Challenge 12: You Had to Be There

This 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. I'm planning to put this approach to good use in one of my upcoming layouts.

Wordplay Challenge 11: What You See

This 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.