Journal Day 23

Narrative Workshop yesterday (writing a day behind). Despite having started the day with no expectations at all, I was pleasantly surprised with my enjoyment for the day and for the methods taught to us. Basic games and inspiration tools taught to us included those childhood games you play where you create a person or a sentence by passing a piece of paper around a group. Each person adds their part and then folds over the paper before passing it on. The next person then adds to the sentence or figure with no idea of what has already been done. This creates a hugely random and actually quite insightful product of the group's psyche. It is also a brilliant way to create a basis for a narrative or some other kind of inspiration.

We then continued to work in a group, with a random selection of objects and photos, which we used to collaboratively create a narrative.

The point of the workshop was to show us that these child like games can be an easy and successful way to create a starting point or some provide some form of inspiration when you seem to be lacking it. And I found that it really does work. Especially when in a group. Everyone became animated, enthusiastic and produced wonderful stories together.

What I found most insightful was to find in myself the enjoyment in the instant production of ideas. The use of a narrative as a way of thinking and seeing, and the way that as humans we can look at almost anything and create a story from it. We have created for ourselves a thousand stereotypes that we can match to almost everything and from it we can then look at any object and form an idea of a character from it with these stereotypes. A red Chinese dragon ornament could have been lost by a small girl on holiday with her parents. And a pair of big, tacky, plastic glasses could have been left somewhere by an old granny who fell on the street; creating worry and concern from passers-by. Instantly there are stories there, and I have surprised myself by not only being able to write here, and enjoy it, but also to the discover that I can link that and use it in my art work. The years and years I spent reading may be coming back to help me :).

 Some days our workshops are boring and I feel as though I learn nothing, however on days like these I find a new way of learning and creating that I can use daily if needed. But now, whenever I am stuck in the future, I know that I can now turn to these simple tools for inspiration. In fact I may do so later on today :).

Abiento x