Fool Your Senses
By Linda Gray
Gazing through the window on a grey, dreary autumn day doesn't generate a lot of
inspiration for a 'get out there and enjoy the spring sunshine' type of article.
Neither does the need to get out there in the summer sunshine help very much
when trying to write a cozy winter scene.
The imagination and memory are invaluable tools in seasonal creative writing but
without the senses being stimulated, any creative writing can take on a hard
edge. Mellow out and push even more real sensual feeling into your writing by
stimulating all your senses and fooling them out of season!
Fool your sight
Pin up some simple pictures around your office space:
· Recreate spring with spring flowers, sunrises, Easter bunny cartoons,
children playing, even babies-- anything that sparks your spring imagination.
· Recreate summer by pinning up those awful summer holiday advertisements seen
in all the glossies. It will undoubtedly give you a new angle on your summer
holiday writing.
· Recreate autumn with pumpkins, witches and black cats, and spectacular trees
in the reds and golds of autumn.
· Recreate winter with pictures of winter sports and snowball fights. Try and
find a good glossy picture of rain under a lamppost at night. Truly and hypnotically
winter!
Simply sorting out your pictures and hanging them will get the creative juices
flowing. And your workspace gets a new look every season out of season!
Draw a seasonal curtain
This works especially well for those of us who do a lot of our writing after
dark.
Change the curtain at your window to reflect the season you want to recreate.
This could be considered as another picture but the change of texture in the
curtain gives a more rounded overall effect. When choosing a winter curtain with
a spring look, make sure it's heavy enough to keep out the cold.
Fool your hearing
Play the music that makes you buzz with seasonal fever!
The most effective music I have ever found for prompting me into another
season is Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Give it a go. Ignore the rain against the
window, choose the piece you need to listen to, turn the volume up and drift
away with the music for a while. Guaranteed to stimulate the seasonal needs!
Then there are recordings of song birds, summer holiday songs, ghostly Halloween
music and 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire' types. And there will always be
personal favorites that prompt memories of summer days or winter evenings,
working days or going trucking. Choose your sounds carefully. Feed your personal
need.
Fool your taste buds
The obvious way to fool your taste buds would be to buy fruit and vegetables out
of season, which is okay but will leave you considerably out of pocket. But
there are a few cheaper steps we can take to stimulate the taste buds.
· To recreate spring and summer tastes: A small salad with a meal will help
give a taste of spring fresh leaves in autumn. Or a pot of chives or cutting
lettuce on the windowsill will survive through winter if kept reasonably warm,
and gently watered. Chew a leaf or two for fresh summer tastes. Have a barbeque
indoors. Simply substitute the grill for the outside fire.
· To recreate autumn and winter tastes: Bake a batch of goodies normally
reserved for winter holidays or Halloween celebrations, and eat them before the
rest of the family find out!
Fool how you feel
Touching and sensing textures and temperature are not always easy to define as
seasonal. Personal reminders of summer days such as a snazzy pair of silk shorts
can help. If you decide to wear them at your desk, don't get cold, and do
remember not to open the front door to the postman. In his hat, gloves, scarf,
etc., he may not be too friendly, or on the other hand... Anyway, remember what
season you are in when you're called back to real life.
Fluffy things tend to be reminiscent of spring (fluffy Easter chicks
perhaps?). Angular paperweights and desk toys tend to feel sharper and
colder when touched and held in the hand, and can help recall our touching sense
to winter days. (Ice from the freezer helps as well, but rather extreme!)
To get in touch with your touch senses and experience an awesome spiritual bond
with the earth, try hugging a tree! Close your eyes and wrap your arms
around the biggest tree you can find. Conjure up any season you want and find
the mood you're seaching for.
Fool your sense of smell
Baking can help jog the smelling sense! From a vanilla pod placed in a slow oven
to a roast turkey with all the trimmings, cooking aromas will always be able to
get our creative juices running. The smell of children's blackcurrant juice,
whether colorant, sugar and chemical free or not, takes me off into summer days
when the kids were small. Every time!
Aside from baking, flowers and herbs are aromatic and can be placed in pots, and
even hung in bunches from the ceiling. Renew fairly often to refresh the smells.
Keep a few sprigs of mint in a little water and rub the leaves occasionally to
release the strong minty scent.
If nothing fresh can be found, try burning aromatherapy or Bach Flower remedy
oils in a small burner on your desk or in the same room. The choices are
extensive and any season can be aromatically conjured up with a few drops of
condensed flower oil. From light spring flower to heavier woody scents, almost
any ambiance is available in a little bottle. Burn a few drops in water over a
small candle in a purpose-designed oil burner.
With all senses stimulated, the extra sensory perception flooding into your
creative writing will soon pay off!
Linda Gray is a freelance writer based in a rural corner of Europe. With ten
years 'low-impact' living behind her, Linda shares her experiences and inspires
her visitors at http://www.mylot.org with a
holistic approach to working from home.
