As artists, it is important to engage in all our senses as fully as possible. Think of a potter out of touch with her clay. She might create technically correct pieces, yet they lack a certain feeling to them. There is a potter whose work I love. I like to hold her pieces. They vibrate. Each piece seems to have a special energy. Each item in her collection has a feeling of love in it. Wouldn’t each of us want our work to elicit that kind of energy?
Do you remember the first thing you ever touched? Most likely you don’t. When you were young your senses were on fire. Every touch was a fresh experience. Watch a baby and how they react to new textures. It surprises them. You can see the baby trying to figure out what it is they are feeling. Even when touching something they don’t like they are still willing to keep exploring.
How can that happen? First, remember what it’s like to feel. Explore the world as if you were a child again. Don’t take for granted the ordinary things. As you watch TV feel the remote control. That’s right, the remote control. It is an ordinary thing with a shape and a feel to it. There is a weight to it. A push of the button can take you to great heights or TV lows. Holding an ordinary thing like a remote can move you through the world, time, and history.
An ordinary object can be the catalyst for outstanding works of art, stimulating the imagination and creating worlds for others to enjoy. As we touch, we feel, and we imbue the world with our graces. It is the experience of our every day. The life that fuels the muse. Significant works come from daily experiences.
In the movie Tommy, the title character loses most of his senses because of a traumatic experience. Though he can no longer feel in the same way, he can still feel by touch, and that sense of touch leads to success. We may not want to lose all of our senses to gain success, but taking the time to explore each sense can open up new worlds of possibility for our art.
As writers, we may not think our work can stimulate the sense of touch. If you love to read you know the pleasure of holding a book in your hands. The weight of the books, their textures, even the smell can make you smile. We become intimate with characters in books and stories. Keep exploring the world with your senses. Touch everything. Use this sense to guide you towards your journal writing topics.
Creative Writing Prompts: Touch
• Explore the world through touch. Choose objects with different textures. For example; pick an orange, a piece of velvet, sandpaper, and a doll. Close your eyes and pick up each object. What are the sensations you feel? What emotions do you feel? What images do they invoke?
• Write a story or poem about the images, sensations, and emotions that you discovered while holding each object.
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