by Naomi | Aug 29, 2016 | Creative Life
It’s time for the Writerly Play Library, one of the most powerful–and most often forgotten–rooms.
If you’re joining this series mid-stream and wondering what in the world the Writerly Play Library is, you might find it helpful to start at the beginning.
Out of the five mental spaces in the creative landscape of Writerly Play, the Library is the one that has made the most difference in my creative development. Sometimes people have difficulty distinguishing between the Writerly Play Workshop and the Writerly Play Library. If that’s true for you, not to worry! In fact, I recommend installing a rotating bookcase between the two. Unlike the distance needed between the Writerly Play Studio and the Workshop, the Library and the Workshop are close neighbors, and their tools inform one another.
If the rooms are so closely related, why not knock the walls down and make them one? In this case, the separation is a reminder. In the Workshop, we look closely at our own work. We analyze what works and doesn’t in our own projects. We find areas of growth. But, what then? It’s time to pass through to the Library. We need to study masterworks, analyze what’s working and why, and then reverse-engineer success.
In the Library, you’re invited to study masterworks in many genres—analyzing, identifying strengths, and applying what you learn to your own work.
Like in our neighborhood libraries, we’re likely to start with the most familiar stacks. Maybe our favorite area of the Writerly Play Library is a shelf filled with books like ours. Remember to follow your curiosity. Unexpected connections can spark entirely new ways of thinking. Study sculpture, paintings, performances, and photographs. Find insight in the rhythm of a tango for the structure of your narrative poem. Find tone in a pen-and-ink sketch to try in your next script.
What type of doorway will invite your curious, investigative self out to play? Although the Workshop is an important entry point for the Library, you’ll want to install passageways between the other rooms and the Library, too. No matter what kind of obstacle you’re facing, the Library holds inspiration that can help you move forward. Design your doorways, and then choose one, and come inside.
Look around. Libraries come in all sizes and styles. How does yours look?
Do you have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves? Does it look more like a museum? Maybe it’s not a room at all, but rather a rambling building filled with performance spaces, listening rooms and study nooks.
The more you engage with Library thinking, the more you’ll push beyond your current skill level and into new territory.
The core skills in the Writerly Play Library include:
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Choosing a Lens
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Picking a Mentor
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Finding Patterns
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Identifying Strengths
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Reverse Engineering
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Personalizing Strategies
In order to play to your strengths while thinking in these ways, what tools, strategies or supplies ought to be in your Library? What tried-and-true strategies do you have? What kinds of tools or activities would you like to seek out?
Add to your toolkit or list. And if you’d like to explore some additional possibilities, here’s my recent list of Library tools and strategies.
How do you tend to use your Writerly Play Workshop and Writerly Play Library? Do you keep the door open between them? Like so many others, do you tend to forget the power of the Library? Are there Library resources that you haven’t yet used, but that you’re curious to examine more closely?
We have only one room left in The Nuts and Bolts of Writerly Play. That’s not to say that you or I won’t discover additional rooms in the future. The beauty of a loose framework like Writerly Play is that there’s always room to explore and grow. Tomorrow, we’ll make our way to the Writerly Play Cafe. See you soon!
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by Naomi | Aug 28, 2016 | Creative Life
Today, we’re on our way to the Writerly Play Workshop.
If you’re joining this series mid-stream and wondering what in the world the Writerly Play Workshop is, you might find it helpful to start at the beginning.
If you’ve been reading along, you’re well aware that the Writerly Play Workshop is another of five mental spaces in the creative landscape of Writerly Play. I find it helpful to think of the Workshop in juxtaposition to the Studio. In fact, the Studio and the Workshop were the initial reason I realized I needed Writerly Play in the first place.
In the Writerly Play Workshop, you’re invited to think critically—developing ideas, revising, and practicing skills.
When I spend too much time in the Writerly Play Studio, my ideas spiral out of control, leading me into intriguing, but often illogical territory. When I spend too much time in the Workshop, my work bogs down under the weight of my critical eye. When I start wondering why I’ve poured my heart and time into a project that I’m starting to despise, I know I’ve been in the Writerly Play Workshop too long.
However, the even more disastrous situation for me was that I had knocked out the wall between the two rooms. My inner critic had clear access to throw darts at my idea balloons. In retaliation, my wild creativity tangled my outlines into rats’ nests. Something had to be done.
That’s why I recommend that you firmly close your Studio door, and march down the hall at least three or four doorways before you choose the best place for your Workshop. You need to be able to move between the rooms, but there should not, not, not be a trapdoor between the two.
So, what kind of doorway will invite your logical, analytical self out to play? Maybe you need a sleek fingerprint keypad, or a rubix cube puzzle lock. Choose the doorway that’s best for you, and then move on inside.
Look around. What gives your Writerly Play Workshop structure and that can-do feel?
Is it a wood shop filled with power tools? A crime-scene lab fit for Sherlock Holmes? Maybe you have a diagram wall, a microscope, a storyboard, or index cards, scissors and tape.
Even if your Writerly Play Workshop is filled with sawdust and other evidence of hard work, it still ought to feel organized. Here, you want to feel clear-minded enough to focus on one problem at a time. You want to feel patient, attentive, and most of all, optimistic. You’ll be thinking analytically, poking at your ideas, moving them around, and finding connections and holes. Optimism is important so that you can look with clear eyes for elements of your project that need further attention. If you don’t believe fully that you’re capable of finding solutions for any problems you uncover, you’ll either avoid the painful truth or turn inward with harsh criticism. Neither of these stances help us in making our best possible work.
The more you engage with Workshop thinking, the more well-crafted your work will be.
The core skills in the Writerly Play Workshop include:
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Mapping a Plan
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Structuring Ideas
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Observing Closely
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Practicing Strategies
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Revising and Rethinking
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Fine-Tuning
In order to play to your strengths while thinking in these ways, what tools, strategies or supplies ought to be in your Workshop? What tried-and-true strategies do you have? What kinds of tools or activities would you like to seek out?
Add to your toolkit or list. And if you’d like to explore some additional possibilities, here’s my recent list of Writerly Play Workshop tools and strategies.
What do you notice when looking at the Studio and the Workshop in juxtaposition? Do you have enough distance between these two mindsets in your creative process? Are there areas of potential growth for you in developing skills in one space or the other?
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by Naomi | Aug 27, 2016 | Creative Life
We’re on to the Writerly Play Studio.
If you’re joining this series mid-stream and wondering what in the world the Writerly Play Studio is, you might find it helpful to start at the beginning.
As you recall, the Studio is another of five mental spaces in the creative landscape of Writerly Play. Notice I didn’t say “the second of five spaces.” Instead of thinking of these rooms as a sequential path, keep imagining them as rooms in a house. You can pop in and out of them whenever you like, following the needs of your creative process.
In the Writerly Play Studio, you’re invited to think expansively—brainstorming, improvising and experimenting.
Whenever you feel lost, pause and ask yourself: What kind of thinking have I been doing? Diagnose the problem. Have you been bouncing from room to room? If so, you might need to lock yourself into one room and stay put. Or, if one of your rooms has gathered cobwebs, maybe you need to visit that space and see your project with fresh perspective.
I suggested that you build a spiral slide from your Attic to your Writerly Play Studio. You’ll probably want playful entry points from other rooms, as well. What kind of doorways will invite your expansive, playful self out to play? If you need to revise or add to your entry points, make the necessary changes. Then, picture yourself zooming into the most colorful of the Writerly Play spaces.
Look around. How does your Writerly Play Studio look and feel?
Is it a black box theatre, an empty slate that you can reinvent each time you enter? A messy art studio full of paints, pastels, and clay? Maybe you have fuzzy dice, an oversized game board, a swing set, a white board, or stacks of post-its.
Your Studio should feel over-the-top fun. Here, you need to feel safe enough to say that most daring of small words, “Yes.” Yes to looking silly, to improbable ideas, to wild-hare possibilities. All ideas are welcomed here because the more ideas we welcome, the more often the elusive, rare ones will join the party. An safe, experimental, energetic environment will invite your spontaneity–your creative genius–out to play.
The more you engage with Writerly Play Studio thinking, the more innovative your work (and life) will be.
The core skills in the Writerly Play Studio include:
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Loosening Up
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Improvising
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Brainstorming
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Thinking Visually
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Stretching Ideas
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Drafting
In order to play to your strengths while thinking (and playing) in these ways, what tools, strategies or supplies ought to be in your Studio? What tried-and-true strategies do you have? What kinds of tools or activities would you like to seek out?
Add to your toolkit or list from yesterday. And if you’d like to explore some additional possibilities, here’s my recent list of Writerly Play Studio tools and strategies.
We’ve visited two rooms so far. Do you have a sense for which of the two is more comfortable for you? Any new insights about your style, or your creative process?
Tomorrow, The Nuts and Bolts of Writerly Play focuses on the Workshop. See you soon!
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by Naomi | Aug 26, 2016 | Creative Life
Today, let’s explore the Writerly Play Attic.
As a reminder, the Attic is one of five mental spaces in the creative landscape of Writerly Play. Like corners in elementary classrooms, these spaces help us focus on the task at hand–in our case, thinking tasks. We can fill these spaces with supplies and checklists, but the way each space feels matters most. A book corner feels different than a science corner. Beanbags and bookshelves invite our cozy, quiet selves out to play, while test tubes and lab glasses speak more to our curious, analytical selves.
In the Writerly Play Attic, you’re invited to think reflectively—collecting ideas, asking questions, and discovering personal connections.
If you’re joining this series mid-stream and wondering what in the world Writerly Play is, you might find it helpful to check out the first two posts.
What kind of staircase did you use to climb up into the Attic yesterday? A ladder? A spiral staircase? A rope ladder? What kind of ladder would invite your quiet, mindful, reflective self out to play? If you need to revise your entryway, make the necessary changes. Then, picture yourself climbing up into your space.
Look around. What can you already picture in your Writerly Play Attic?
Do you have a window seat next to a thick, paned window? A Narnia wardrobe stuffed full of familiar and forgotten items? Maybe you have a yoga mat, a writing desk, wind chimes, scented candles, or twinkle lights.
Remember: we’re creating a space with a specific feel–for YOU. There is no right-and-wrong rulebook for items you’re allowed to keep in your Attic. We wouldn’t tell students not to keep how-to books in the science corner because books belong in the reading corner. In the same way, try not to issue unhelpful rules in your mental spaces. If you could use an easel and paints in every one of your spaces, by all means, scatter those easels around.
Actually, this point of potential confusion takes us straight to the heart of what the Writerly Play rooms are meant to do. If painting is sometimes a way for you to reflect, and other times a way for you to brainstorm, and other times is a way for you to collaborate, it’s possible that sometimes your brain is trying to do all three at the same time when you pick up your paintbrush.
Surrounding your Attic easel with photographs, keepsakes, and a quiet, peaceful environment will cue your mind to focus and pursue Attic types of questions.
What matters to me in this piece?
What past experiences might inform this project?
What physical or mental clutter is in my way, and how might I clear a new path?
The more you engage with Attic thinking, the stronger your personal, mindful, reflective set of creativity skills will be.
The core skills in the Writerly Play Attic include:
- Clearing Clutter
- Collecting Ideas
- Sorting Ideas
- Asking Questions
- Finding the Heart
- Clarifying Goals
In order to play to your strengths while thinking in these ways, what tools, strategies or supplies ought to be in your Attic? You may have some tried-and-true ones you can add right now. You might also have a wish list. What else might stretch you in new directions, or take you deeper into your work?
Is your mind filling with ideas and questions? And if so, where should you start?
These are mental spaces, but making them tangible will strengthen their helpfulness in your creative process.
You might:
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Use a shoe box to collect your Writerly Play tools. Inside, separate out the items for each room in smaller boxes or bags.
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Create a collage or mind map for each room.
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Design a set of cards for each room with strategies, reminders, checklists and quotes.
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Or, if you only have three minutes right now, create a new list in your favorite note-taking tool, and do a quick brain dump. As far as the Attic goes, what tools do you have? What tools do you need?
I treat my wish list as a scavenger hunt, and invite you to do the same. You’ll find that ideas you tried in the past are newly useful as you start to organize them into specific workflows (or, thinking flows). You’ll see when you have an overwhelming amount of tools for one task and none for another. Maybe it’s time to weed tired ideas out. Or maybe you’d enjoy cycling through strategies like you do with summer and winter clothes.
Possibilities are everywhere–in creativity books, on podcasts, on Pinterest. You probably won’t be surprised to find that strategies and tools for the rooms are also a regular feature on this blog. If you’re curious, check out the most recent Attic tools I’ve personally explored here.
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by Naomi | Aug 25, 2016 | Creative Life
The Who, What and Where of Writerly Play
Writerly Play helps us develop our creativity by tapping into the power of story and the addictive momentum of games.
While studying improvisation with Joyce and Byrne Piven, I expanded my understanding of what a game can be, and also what it can do. A game experience has a beginning, middle and an end. As storytellers, when we play with a narrative arc in mind, a game becomes more than a series of moves. We’re part of a collective experience that builds to an unexpected climax, and then resolves with a satisfying flourish.
In order to participate in a narrative game, we need three touchpoints. WHO are we in the game? WHAT is our objective? WHERE are the boundaries as we play?
First, the WHO.
By looking at ourselves through the lens of creative archetypes, we gain insight about our gifts and blind spots. Which archetypes are most like us? Which are least like us?
Points of friction offer interesting insights. Perhaps we fit into one archetype nearly all the time, except for during moments of high stress. Might we make the most of that tendency and make the most of that alternate role? Or, should we stop and remember to tap into our creative gifts rather than try to problem solve with ill-fitting strategies? The point is not to force ourselves into boxes, but rather to use the structure of the game to unlock better strategies for playing.
If you’d like to explore your creative archetype, I encourage you to take this quiz. At the end, don’t miss the cheat sheet with strategies curated for your style.
Next, the WHAT.
Any creative project will do. We stretch our creativity by mindfully engaging in the creative process. Remember, you aren’t only learning an art form. You’re also learning how to think creativity, skills that will serve you no matter what art form you tackle next.
The WHERE is how Writerly Play truly shines.
Writerly Play invites you to picture the creative process playing out in a series of mental rooms. We all know the power of corners in a Kindergarten classroom. Each corner is equipped with tools to put us in the right frame of mind for the activity at hand.
Picture yourself standing in front of a gate.
It’s an intriguing gate—one that whispers of mysteries beyond. What does your gate look like? Take in as much detail as you can. Where are you? In a busy city? In a thick forest?
Beyond the gate is a building. When you were a kid, did you ever stumble across a place that you immediately claimed as your own? Maybe it was a hidden space carved into a hedge or a room that no one used. The point is, every once in a while, a space invites us in—it feels safe. It invites us to play. This building is that kind of space. It’s your hideout. You’re allowed to build forts here and slide across the floor in your socks.
Open the door and go inside.
Absorb the look and feel of the place. This building—your Writerly Play hideout—is a setting for your creative exploration and growth. While your space will have its individual quirks and surprises, there are also a few rooms you’re sure to find.
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Climb up to the Attic, a room filled with artifacts from your life experiences, and tools to help you savor, sort, and reflect on them.
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Down a spiral slide, you’ll find the Studio. This imaginative, colorful space invites you to set your analytical mind aside so you can draft, sketch and improvise.
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Across the hall and down a few doors, far enough away to keep the sawdust from choking out your playful experience, is the Workshop. Here, your analytical mind stars, as you do the hammer-and-nails work of shaping and revising your work.
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Sometimes, you hit a wall and you need inspiration and wisdom from those who have gone before you. That’s why there’s a secret passageway from the Workshop to the Library, where you’re surrounded by the work of master artists, be they authors or painters or violinists.
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In the back garden, you’ll find a Cafe, where you can connect with your peers and your audience. Here, you receive feedback and use it to fuel your growth.
I know you’ll want to ramble around your creative space and see what you can find in the nooks and crannies. Explore away, and then come on back tomorrow for the next post in The Nuts and Bolts of Writerly Play. We’ll climb back up into the Attic together and take a closer look.
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