Objects as Muse: Sequined Treasure Purses Provide True Serendipity
We can dialogue with objects and use them as our muses in learning more about place and ourselves in relationship to place. Several presenters at the Story Circles Network “Land Full of Stories” conference brought objects with them as prompts. In one workshop I attended the objects were displayed on top of a table.
I brought objects inside tiny sequined purses with little feather accents…intended as play purses for young girls. The advantages of this way of containing and choosing the objects is that, in addition to being fun and shifting us to a younger self, the choice of the object is truly random.
I find when I choose objects that are in full display that I will choose according to my predilections or according to what I think I can do with it. This biases my choices and doesn’t allow me to work with my subconscious as deeply as true randomness does…where we can be surprised and grateful for serendipity instead of controlling.
The exercise was to ask the object a question and speak with the voice of the object. The techniques writers used were: 1) cluster; 2) freewrite; 3) nondominant hand writing (as in the CROOKED HOUSE poem).
What a good idea to put the objects inside something and then choose! When it’s more random you are tapping more into your subconscious, too…and the elements of chance.
This is a lovely piece. Why else would we save objects from our past or buy certain objects if not to try to express something unique and special. At the moment I’m wearing a ring that always reminds me of my husband, a simple white gold wedding band; a silver ring inlaid with a single star saphire – a ring my father had made for my mother and which has fit me perfectly ever since my mother gave it to me over twenty years ago, six months before her death; and on my left wrist a tortoise shell bracelet my twin brother gave me that reminds me of his erratic gift giving, his thoughtfulness, and his Wanderlust – the bracelet is from the Dominican Republic.
Work on those objects!
What a unique idea for opening the creative mind. I like how you suggest the choice be random, instead of allowing our conscious mind to make the choice.