Wednesday mornings, for the last few years, have been reserved for sewing class at Margaret's house. It became a sacred time, and I rarely let anything get in the way of it. And then Margaret went to that big sewing room in the sky and I suddenly had an extra five hours a week. I could have done some household tasks, or decided to clean out my closets, or something like that. But instead my friend Carla and I decided that we would replace stitching fabric with stitching words together and make Wednesday mornings a time to focus on improving our writing skills. Carla is one of the best songwriters I know, and the is fabulous at critiquing. We "get " each other's writing styles. So that's what we do now, even though it's still hard for us to not have our Margaret time.
This Wednesday morning we decided to begin working through the songwriting exercise workbook written by our friend Pat Pattison, who teaches at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The exercise includes three timed writings; one ten minute exercise, one five minute, and one 90 second. We begin each challenge with an object, or a word, which is basically a jumping off place. We incorporate all of our senses, trying to use imagery with smell, taste, sound, touch, motion, time and sight. Then we share our writing with each other, and move to the next. In the middle of our five minute exercise I heard the creaking of the garage door, and the tapping of little feet. Annie and her three littles had stopped by for a visit. We hushed the kids gently, asking them to hold quiet for just a few more minutes. It's tough to maintain your focus on the imagination when the reality of the loves of your life are standing right in front of you. A few minutes later my friend Mary dropped in, calling out as she walked in the door; It's Mary! The lilt in her voice would have told me it was Mary even if she had not said her name, I've known and loved her for so long. "I saw all the cars in the driveway and thought I'd join the party." Mary is the kind of sister-friend who understands when I'm in the middle of writing, will visit with Annie while I'm working, and wave goodbye, knowing we will connect later.
Six-year-old Calvin and four-year-old Beth both asked what we were doing, so Carla explained the process. Armed with blank paper and pens, both kiddos joined us for our 90 second exercise, kneeling at the large coffee table as Carla and I wrote in our notebooks on the couch. I set the timer for a minute and a half, and Carla gave us the word.
The word:
Lilly pad
When the timer sounds the end of 90 seconds, all pens go down.
I didn't get my writing done, because Beth kept asking me how to draw different letters. But here's what Calvin came up with:
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| Calvin's first creative writing exercise. |
Calvin: name
Lilly pads are a sight to see.
The green against the blue water is beautiful.
Though he is only a Kindergartner, Calvin had a sense that what he wrote was beautiful. He could feel it. And he was right, it was an accurate and fresh and lovely 90 second exercise, especially for one so young. Carla bestowed sweet, sincere compliments on him. (It is always especially sweet when our grandparents friends think well of us.)
Calvin has been able to express his creativity for a few years now with his artistic talents. His mom has seen to that. He can draw, and color, and tape and paste and paint. But it was a joy for us to watch him discover this new thing; the ability to draw with words. Words are new tools to him. Exciting and versatile, and his ability to lasso them and bring them into submission is a new found talent. It is just so sweet to watch it unfold.
As Carla and I collected our things and closed up shop for the day, Calvin came and sat beside us.
"So, Gummy, you do this every week? This writing thing?"
"Yes, Calvin, we do."
"OK, I'll see you next Wednesday."
That's my boy.
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| Calvin |
Here's another great Calvin creation:
WHY CAN'T LIFE HANDLE ITSELF?
♥️
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