BY SIONA SHISHAK
Day to day, the majority of writing I do is for classes. Whether I’m completing journals, essays, or otherwise, some degree of formality and structure is always required. To combat these restrictions, I decided to create a little challenge for myself. It all started with the NYT Games app. Bored, with nothing else to do, I opened the Wordle for February 7. As always, the guessing game was a tough battle. I started with a word full of anger, a simple “FIGHT.” No greens were obtained, but the two yellow letters felt promising. Rearranging my approach, my next guess was “THERE.” It was a simple word that felt right; I was discouraged to see that this only yielded more yellows. Finally, I felt a push. I knew what I had come here to do. With only a few quick strokes, I imputed a new word: “SWATH.” Somehow, I had come to the right conclusion.
Three words are, well, not very many. But when constructed in the appropriate manner, they can fly far beyond their reach. As I examined my final results, I was taken by the progression of such words. FIGHT… THERE… SWATH. And on she fought! With a renewed sense of inspiration, I decided to continue what would’ve been left in the rotting cache of the New York Times.
FIGHT
THERE
SWATH
You vain and rogue bunch
Swarming the withered wards
Arbalest! Move onwards with strength
Let your reeds fly with little thought
Let them move on hurriedly before you
And pray they find their landing
I found inspiration in these few words without any intention of producing creative work. I felt encouraged by a simple game, but that’s not the only place I could seek motivation. Words are found just about anywhere. You may find your inspiration on a street sign, menu description, or a quote from a movie! Wherever you look, you may find something beautiful. The letters themselves don’t even matter; take a quick look around your room. Do you have posters hanging? Letters from friends? Pictures you love? You may just find something suddenly moving within your ordinary surroundings.
A few of the sources I have used to stimulate my imagination are as follows: a Joni Mitchell interview, an ingredient used at my cafe, the label on a pair of purple pants, the nutrition facts on a box of Tomato Basil Wheat Thins, an embroidered poem I found antiquing, and the number of footpaths in the snow after a big storm. All it takes is picking out tiny fragments of your own life.
Sometimes, creativity takes a little push. We’re so used to occupying empty time with our phones, with substances, with a million other distractions; filling that vacancy is easy with a couple of Instagram Reels and a couple more PBRs. In the coming week, I challenge you to create something. It may be through writing, a quick little poem like mine, but it could also be through something visual, musical, or physical. Unless you already practice creativity through a hobby, club, or class, it’s unlikely that you’ll take the time to engage with these exercises. Whatever your preferred medium, I encourage you to challenge yourself by setting aside some dedicated time to let yourself create.
Featured image: Wordle; Siona Shishak
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