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A new blog to contain answers to prompts |
Since my old blog "Everyday Canvas "  became overfilled, here's a new one. This new blog item will continue answering prompts, the same as the old one. Cool water cascading to low ground
To spread good will and hope all around.  |
| Prompt: Understanding One's Own Self Which kinds of people can help others to understand themselves the most? And is or was there such a person in your life who has helped you understand yourself better? ---------- One of my uncles comes to mind. As a child growing up and later a teenager, I found a haven in one of my uncles. He always listened to me without judgment and if anything, he encouraged me to tell him even the most rotten things I did and even those I thought of doing even if I never did them. This uncle was also a writer, and we had literature in common, which we both enjoyed talking about. I learned a lot from him. Whereas my mother was enforcing the rules, "do this, don't do that," sort of thing, my uncle was listening to my insides and encouraging me to face my shadowed side. It helped me, I think, much better than what those throwing directives at me. Come to think of it, it is possible that having both my mother and my uncle might have worked well on me during my formative years. Maybe we need all kinds of input from those around us as we grow up. One-sided anything does become lop-sided, doesn't it! Still, when I think of people who effectively help others understand themselves better, I think of those with listening skills, patience, empathy, and communication abilities. To top it all, the know-how or ability to put complex concepts in simple terms, a wish to help others, and a genuine interest in others' perspectives would make a really helpful person, be it he or she. This person maybe a therapist, a family member, or a friend. After all this thinking about people helping others to understand themselves, I recall a Carl Jung quote that says: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” It is shocking to think how blind we are to our unconscious, of if you wish, call it subconscious. They may be the same or two different things, but it doesn't matter. I think they are related; however, I'm not all that familiar with today's vocabulary of the recent study of psychology. Much of the psychologists of the early twentieth century , like Sigmund Freud, suggested that much of the self could be hidden in the unconscious mind. As I was very much interested in psychology, while I was studying other things in higher ed., I took some psychology courses earning myself what one might call a minor degree in such studies. At the time, Jung had just passed away and wasn't so well-known, at least not as well as Freud. Then, only recently, I came across Jung's shadow work, which became of great interest to me, in my old age. This is because I think--with our traumas, joys, and all--self-understanding is a dynamic process that is or should be ongoing. What is shadow work? I think of it as the underdog of our psyches. On the other hand, it is a very powerful underdog that only makes itself knows only on occasion, especially when we surprise ourselves with sudden unexplainable, unrelated or even unbecoming actions and feelings. Knowing about our shadows or at least trying to understand them is like finding a goldmine. It gives one an immense power in oneself, and it also makes one stop blaming and scapegoating others. Also, if we are after being authentic, how is it possible that we keep hiding parts of ourselves, or even, not loving those parts! Shadow work can be done with a therapist, true, but it has to be a therapist who is really good at what he or she is doing. Hard to find, and for people like me, hard to trust. Still, in my opinion, the best shadow work is done on one's own. For this, a notebook and pen are the only tools, plus the promise to oneself to be 100% truthful. One begins that notebook-journal by answering shadow-work questions as truthfully as one can, making sure that notebook is only for the eyes of its writer. Here are some shadow work questions from the web, in no certain order, but one can always pick and choose or come up with one's own questions. https://seekingserotonin.com/shadow-work-journal-prompts/ https://selfhealjourney.com/2023/02/24/shadow-work-prompts/ https://www.rosebud.app/blog/shadow-work-journal-prompts https://psychedelic.support/resources/50-shadow-work-journal-prompts/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ShadowWork/comments/16bdqa8/shadow_work_journal_prompts... https://www.betterup.com/blog/shadow-work-prompts https://www.scienceofpeople.com/shadow-work-prompts/ |
| Prompt: Taking risks What is better, staying safe or taking a risk? Did you ever have to make such a choice and would you do it again? -------- The way I see it, any risk is tied to uncertainty. While uncertainty may have its own hidden benefits, I am not any admirer of uncertainties. When you come down to it though, every step we take has a hidden risk although the possibility of it could be near zero. And another thing, this whole thinking of it signals to me that there is no such thing as staying safe. Did I ever have to make such a choice and would I do it again? Certainly, I did. Even eating a cookie is taking a risk. How could I make sure that some part of the cookie would not escape into my throat and choke me, for example. Then, I did also took huge risks when I chose a line of study, married, had kids, moved to here and there, traveled as much as I did, and moved to Florida where we are threatened by hurricanes every year. Am I sorry for all that? Definitely, not. Plus, taking all these risks that I took in my life were well worth it. Dangerous or not, at each step we take, we are taking risks, although we may not be aware of it at the moment. Yet, if the question is about taking risks with well-knowing the potential dangers, that is another thing. In which case, we need to take into consideration if taking a certain risk is advisable. This has to do with assessing a risk's potential benefits against its losses. Also, our level of preparedness is important; that is, keeping in mind if we have the skills and know-how to tackle any negative outcome. Then, comes my favorite part: personal tolerance for uncertainty. Although some people can thrive in unpredictable situations, I feel anxious; however, those who know me may think I am soooo calm. I have a confession here: I'm not as calm or collected as anyone may think. Quite the contrary!  On the other hand, there is a very positive side to taking risks. It gives us growth and learning opportunities. Some risks, even those with negative outcomes, lead to personal and emotional development that lets us make future decisions with better effective thinking and more information. Still, in my opinion, when the motivation for taking any risk is mostly impulsive rather than thought-through, it is wise to take a step back and hold the decision while we reassess. So, right now, I'm crossing my fingers and saying, "May all our risk-taking produce very positive results!" |
| Prompt: Make a list of common objects that you might like to write about because of their appearance or personal association. Write comparisons to these objects anything--everything you can think of about the objects. Now take all this information you've gathered and write a story or a poem about what you've discovered with your list. Have fun. Another Mathew Sweeney and John Hartley Williams exercise in case you're wondering. --------- List: photo in a frame, eyeglasses Himalayan salt lamp bowl of candy dictionary calendar --------- While You Watch Watching me, your photo in a frame sits still on my desk as if a nest for memories entombed but not cast aside, and beside it, my eyeglasses rest folded, with their lenses catching light on the side, quietly like the Himalayan salt lamp, glowing soft and warm, casting hues in a gentle form. A bowl of candy nearby the frame with your photo waits, sweet like you, as a small treat for when tears come. At the edge, my dictionary leans to words bound for reference or wisdom profound, and as I turn each page, the calendar on the wall, marks my time's pace; its comfort, a slow, quiet grace letting me know how we'll meet again soon, or maybe in many-a-moon, while you watch me in this room of little things, still and blue, but bathed in your warm hue, my world embraces its silence. |
| Prompt: Use these phrases in your entry today: cry over spilt milk, short end of the stick, a home bird, and quality of time. --------- I have always feared negativity because it is a powerful force. Then, I don't know anyone who wouldn't be uncomfortable in the presence of a negative person. Also, I believe negativity may be a learned behavior, but it sure can be tamed. While it is normal for most of us to face difficult situations, allowing negativity dominate our thinking can hinder our personal growth and make others feel uneasy. Now, how is being negative a good choice? A most common negative behavior has to do with dwelling on past mistakes or "crying over spilt milk." Yes, you might have gotten "the short end of the stick" all right, but why insist on creating a lasting resentment? Isn't it a better idea to focus on what we can control, while taking note of the injustices and trying to make things better? I can certainly understand those who are "home birds" by nature. To them, dealing with the unknown can be unsettling. Although their perceived stability or their desire for it can sound normal, that very stability can prevent people from new and useful experiences. When a "home bird" breaks out of his comfort zone, he (or she) often finds that he has not only gotten over his fears but also he has enriched his very own life. Then, negativity also prevents people from appreciating others and spending meaningful experiences with them. Where family and friends are concerned, "quality of time" also pops up into view. Such time spent is essential for building strong bonds, instead of being wasted on resentment, fights, pessimism or complaints by any kind. Overcoming any negative behavior requires a conscious shift in perspective that contains acceptance, resilience, and openness to change. It is a job. all right, and it isn't very easy, at least not always. Still, isn't it worth our wellness and goodness of character to tackle it? And why not turn any negativity, if and when we detect it, into a more positive behavior, for it to allow into our lives growth, serenity, and with one another, a lasting sincerity? |
| Prompt: "Patience is learned through waiting." Eyen A. Gardner Write about this in your Blog entry today -------- Yes, but the waiting is so difficult! I wasn't born to be a patient person, even and especially with myself. Yet, I got better at it over the years...I think. So let's look at this learned patience. Learned patience is not simply a passive endurance but a kind of emotional quickness. It happens when we learn to focus out attention and energies on what we can control while letting go off what we cannot. The problem with waiting is that constant slap of uncertainty and sometimes frustration. Yet, waiting encourages mindfulness. In mindful moments, we might find ourselves more aware of our surroundings, options, feelings, and thoughts. In short, waiting invites us to live in the present moment. This means we learn to endure and feel gratitude for those things positive in life. This means learning humility. While I am at it, I am going to mention something that got on my nerves a bit during the last two days. It is the reactions of some to US elections. I believe it doesn't matter for whom I cast my vote and for whom you cast yours. This country's ways are based upon the majority rule. We all have to learn to accept that rule. Otherwise, there are other places on earth where a person from the USA will be accepted with open arms. If that option is out for you also, you have to learn patience and stop carping about this outcome. For your own good, to start with. Your complaints, fears, and cries all over the internet is not doing any good to you or to the USA. What I'm saying is that, just wait and see. Maybe there will be instances where you can help avoid something negative or help with something positive. Rather than rushing to a possible or impossible terrible end with your thoughts and feelings, wait and do your best. As you'll find out, your patience will provide its own reward. A reward to you, to us, and to everyone else around us, but mostly to the USA and the world. |
| Prompt: Precious and few. Write about these words in your Blog entry today. ------------- I believe this phrase is pointing to the appreciation of probably a few people or some rare moments in life, as it shows an appreciation for something or someone bringing exceptional warmth, happiness, and meaning to life. Such moments and people can be rare, maybe, but if we are lucky, such moments and people can abound. The word "few" adds a layer of scarcity to the idea suggesting that valuable moments and people are not easily found and experienced. I tend to differ, however, with the scarcity idea in that phrase. Good people are not scarce, for everyone has some good in them, probably hidden deep down inside for some. What brings out the good in a human being may be luck, but more likely, it is appreciation. Most of the time, appreciated people will try to live up to that expectation. As to moments, I think it is how we look at them. Some things in my life I thought were negative--later on--proved to be the best possible events, situations, and such, to my benefit. "Precious and few?" Maybe. On the other hand, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." |
| Prompt: Gifts Let's think about the word, "gift." What do you think about gifts in any shape or form? What has been a real gift to you? --------- The word "gift" may have differing meanings; however, all of them center around the idea of value and giving. A gift may mean a smile, a hug, or any other expression of love, like friendship, appreciation, or goodwill. The word "gift" may also refer to a talent, a natural aptitude for something, or an ability, as if it hints at a blessing given by a higher power. I believe gifts that are thoughtful and personalized are valued the most by the receivers. Personalized gifts that speak to a person's tastes, interests, and needs carry a lot more meaning than something bought off a rack in a hurry. Also, gifts that contain shared memories are held in high esteem. In my case, one of my most favorite gifts is a photo album given to me by a cousin. It wasn't just an album. It contained all our photos together since childhood. I consider it as one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received. Handmade gifts by the gift-giving person are also much appreciated as the giver of the gift has spent effort, thought, time, and creativity. As an example, I smiled at my image in the mirror yesterday, while I was washing my hands by using one of the  fancy soaps The StoryMistress  had created.Then, some people in my family send or give me gifts of books especially in the areas that interest me, knowing that I have always been a book-worm. Gifts may not be in the form of an object, either. I mean giving time, help, and an understanding ear are gifts, too. Two people, who weren't even very close to me earlier, called me every single day for many months to comfort me right after my husband's passing. My appreciation for those two people -- one a friend, the other my sister-in-law -- will never fade. When all is said and done, the most appreciated gifts can be those that reflect the recipient's personality, values, and likes. This is because with gifts, consideration, creativity, and thoughtfulness play a huge role in making one's life more meaningful. |
| Prompt: Candy Do you like candy? Is there any difference between the candies that you like in hot weather and cold weather? Write about your favorite candies and any memories attached to them. ----------- Who doesn't like candy! That is unless, one is diabetic, and very luckily, I am not, and I love the taste. That instant burst of sweetness in my mouth lifts my mood to the nostalgic memories of me as a four-year old and my mother giving me a chocolate bar when I had a temper tantrum. I don't think a pedagogue would advise that to mothers, but it was a great success for my mother. Luckily, I never became obese. If anything, I was on the thin side as a kid. I am guessing the sweetness of candy taps into the innate preference of our ancestors, which must have helped them to identify calorie-rich foods when edibles were hard to come by, as sugary stuff offers quick energy boosts and happier outlooks. As to the seasons, I don't think I have a preference. For winter, possibly candy canes might be in favor for some of us because of Christmas and the cheerful appearance and nostalgia. Then come the truffles, gingerbread and cinnamon tastes, and anything chocolate, which is for all seasons anyway. I will have to add caramel apples to the mix, which was a favorite of mine when I was in my teens. For spring and summer, probably, light and fruity tasting gummies, jellybeans, and lemon drops could be some of the choices. As in everything else, each season may bring its own flavors with candy types. This may be because candy reflects more than flavor. The very idea of it has to do with the imagination of being young again, cultural traditions, and the moods we experience at any age. Now that I have written all about candy, I'm rushing to reach for some refreshment. I mean that big bag in the kitchen which still contains a few of the left-over Halloween candies, mostly dark chocolate, of course.  |
| Prompt: Let's try another Sweeney exercise together. Think about any movie that has stuck with you. In your mind, create an image from the movie. Resist all temptation to explain or tell us the movie's name instead let the image speak for itself in your writing. Mathew Sweeney says," using the image to suggest more than itself is metaphorical approach because a metaphor works by using one thing to refer to in terms of another." Have fun! ----------- He stares at her, almost unable to breathe, at the blonde woman he had once loved. Maybe he still does. He cannot believe her son has his name. He feels a strange cocktail of emotions welling up, swirling together so fiercely. Then, she tells him, apologizing, the truth. The boy has bright-eyes, wild hair and a familiar quirk in his grin. It is like looking at a mirror from years ago, his own face glancing back at him, unguarded and unaware. He panics. He is shaking inside. "Is he... smart?" he asks, meaning 'Is he stupid like me?' The boy rushes to the living room to watch 'Bert and Ernie' on the TV. Such a shock! Certainly. But also regret, thick and heavy, sinking into him for the years he'd lost with the boy: his first step, first words, the small joys and pains and all else that had slipped past by him, without him. Did the child call someone else, "Dad"? He imagines the boy calling him, "Dad!" Dad! A name he hadn't known himself. He wants to hear the boy say that to him. He wants it badly. He didn't know he'd want it this badly, this much...until now. Such an excitement...a nervous thrill at the idea of discovering a part of himself that had always been there, just hidden, waiting. Then, as if he has stumbled into a life he didn't know he was meant for...he feels unprepared, exposed. The woman says, "Go talk to him." And he does. There is hope now, fragile and sudden because he can change things. He could try. And he can. He knows he can. ----------- Note: here is the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITGEGE9v0d0 |
| Prompt: Take any cliche and subvert it to bring it alive again in a poem or a blog entry. ----------- Bag of Bones They said, "This baby, a bag of bones!" and rattled, "She may not even throw stones" a bag of bones, where my shadow lies World War II, macabre with gray skies. But dreams I've built and spells I've cast, I charted my course, battled the past. Alas, today, other lines are drawn, fears of war wail from dusk to dawn. Although people speak in whispers low, in death's embrace, demons can grow. So, this bag of bones sways and waits... as, just one click, next war dictates. Such a shame it is, to undo the seams! Or let's mend the world, guard our dreams? I hold my breath and hear the moans and warnings from all bags of bones. |
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