Circle Archive
Circle Prompts From Previous Months
In an effort to keep the main page of Circles Membership fresh and clutter-free, I will place all previous prompts in this archive so that you still have access to them.
June 2020 Creative Prompt
Journey Collage
Please gather the following items before you begin this creative prompt.
Scrap Papers, magazines, old books, any paper with pictures
Board paper/cardstock
Dried botanicals
Found objects
String/Thread/Cord
Awl- to punch holes
Paints
Glue - a bottle (Aileens or Elmers) and a glue stick (any brand)
Any Other additives of your choice (buttons, scraps of cloth, etc…)
Once you have your materials, then read the prompt. Be sure to read slowly, sit quietly, and breath softly for about 5 minutes after the prompt.
Prompt
Imagine you wake up in the middle of the night. The moon is full and its light draws you out of bed and to your window. As you step up to the glass, you take in the clear night sky and notice the light of the moon as it dapples across the sky and the ground. You see a garden below, and the plants are growing in the moonlight, moving in a spiral pattern. You feel called to step outside, to be in the moonlight in that garden. You leave your home and go outside. It is a safe space and you know you are cared for.
Once outside, you can see the plants growing right before your eyes. You look carefully at those plants. There is an animal in the garden that you didn’t notice before. It is a gentle creature. You look carefully at the animal. You can understand the animals thoughts. The animal asks you to follow it onto a path, to take a journey. You step onto a path and follow the animal. You notice the quiet sounds of the night, your footsteps on the ground, and the fresh smell of the night air. The animal leads you to a stone circle and asks you to sit on the stones and rest in the moonlight. The animal tells you that a message will come to you as you rest here for a few minutes. You spend some time in this safe and comfortable place and listen to your message.
After a while, the animal softly tells you it is time to return. You get up and you have a sense of being centered. You follow the animal, noticing the sounds, sights, and smells. You return to the garden. The plants have reached the height of the trees, and they seem to be welcoming you back. You bid the animal farewell, and offer your gratitude and thanks for its message. It gently bows to you, and then wanders away on the path. You walk back into your home and return to your soft bed. You feel a sense of clarity towards your new journey.
Take a few moments to pause and be still with your breath. Notice your body as it breaths in and out.
Journal about your journey.
Questions to consider:
What did the plants look like from your window, as you stepped into the garden?
How did you feel as you stepped outside?
What colors did you notice?
What shapes?
Textures?
Scents?
What animal approached you? Can you describe its details?
Did a specific message come to you in your journey?
How did you feel as you returned to your home?
Steps for your collage
Now, begin to collect images and words from your scraps of paper, cut or tear as you wish and let them be inspired by your night journey. There is no right or wrong decision in this process.
Once you have a collection of images, begin to organize them on your board paper or cardstock. Rearrange the images so they feel right to you.
Begin to glue down your papers. Glue sticks work well for flat papers, Aileens or Elmers tacky glue works well for thicker items but takes more time to dry. You can use a hot glue gun, but be careful they can burn your fingers!
Consider adding other elements: dried botanicals- leaves, petals, scraps of material, threads, string, buttons, anything you have collected that captures the feeling of your journey. These items can extend past the borders board/cardstock. They do not have to stay in a square shape!
Feel free to add writing, paint, stamps, or anything else. This is your journey collage, a reminder of your message.
Title your work.
What I was reading in June!
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
A collection of fifteen essays and speeches on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class. Lorde is an expert in prose and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action and change.
Morning Altars by Day Schildkret
A seven step practice to nourish your spirit through nature, art, and ritual. The artist and writers website is linked above. This book offers many ways to include nature in your creative practice.
Sisters of the Winter Wood by Renna Rossner
An imaginative historical fantasy steeped in rich Jewish culture, folklore, magic, and the danger of the woods.
June Herbal Folklore
Broadleaf Plantain- Plantago Major
If you have been outside, you have seen plantago major, otherwise known as broadleaf plantain (note: this is not the plantain that looks like a banana!). Plantain is commonly found growing in lawns, fields, roadsides, and in the cracks in sidewalks. It was called “white man’s footprint” by the Indigenous peoples because it came over with the European colonizers and thrived in European settlements. Planta in latin means soul of the foot.
Plantain is often considered a weed, but like so many weeds, it contains within its green tissues a resiliency and determination that we humans can benefit from. Plantain forms what is called a “rosette” a circular leaf formation with smooth shaped leaves. It sends out a long and spindly brownish flower from April to September. The leaves can be 2-8 inches long and 2-4 inches wide. Each plant can produce up to 20,000 seeds! No wonder it is everywhere!
Plantain is nutritious! It is high in calcium, vitamin A, C, and K. You can harvest the leaves and eat them steamed, or dry them for a tea. You can also eat the seeds, though they can be bitter. Plantain is considered to be the Wegbrade or Weybread of the “Nine Sacred Herbs” charm in old Saxon tradition. It was also a well respected herb in Celtic tradition due to its versatility and medicinal properties. When hung inside the home, it was said to be a protective plant that could drive away dangers.
May Creativity Prompt
Art From Myth
I enjoy learning about world myths and archetypes. We can all remember tales from our childhood of the dark woods, the mysterious woodland creature, or the grand King and Queen. My mother often told me a tale that came from my great grandmother in Sicily, of twin siblings, a brother and a sister. This was a Cinderella like tale where the girl and boy were sent away by the cruel step mother. The twins had to fend for themselves in the fairy woodlands and learn to make their way back home. The boy had the mark of the king- a star on his hand and the moon on his head, and it was these symbols that would reveal to their true identity to their family. The siblings grew up in the forest, and had many adventures, and eventually they had a triumphant returned to their family. I eventually traced the origins of this story all the way back to India! Somehow, this tale that originated in India ended up being told to my great grandmother in Sicily!
Stories like this fill my mind and find their way to my creative practice. I am drawn to the natural elements, the forests, and to these celestial symbols. This imagery always makes its way into my art-making practice. I use natural materials from the woods around my house, symbolism found in nature such as birds, the sun, and the moon. I love the narrative of story, and I frequently use words to carry a story throughout an art piece.
PROMPT- Remember a story from your past. It could be a story you were told as a child, or one that you are drawn to. What is it about the story that creates a sense of wonder and enchantment for you? Choose a way to express the story creatively. Maybe it is through a drawing or a painting. Maybe you are inspired to write the story out in your own way. Perhaps you feel more comfortable making a collage of images, or putting something together in photoshop. These are just suggestions, you might choose a completely different way of expressing! Choose a medium that immediately has interest for you (so you don’t get caught up in the technical details of the medium). Create your piece and give it a title, then share it with me!
