Currently viewing the tag: "ritual"

Welcome to the Carnival of Creativity for May 6, 2012. All links will open in a new tab or window, so feel free to click through and leave some love in the comments. Once you close that window, you’ll be right back here for more linky goodness.

Responses to Writing Reader Prompts

Melanie Marttila presents Why Spoilers are Good for Writers posted at Writerly Goodness. Written in response to Prompt #134 Spoilers.

The Creative Mindset

Angela Ackerman presents The Positive Side of Rejection posted at Live, Write, Thrive.

Resources/Tools

Jason Boog presents YouTube Time Machine for Book Research posted at Media Bistro.

Sharing Our Work

Eula McLeod presents Chickens Live Longer posted at View from the Winepress.

Liz Shaw presents I Talk, It Types posted at Liz Andra Shaw.

Writing Quote of the Week

Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words. – Paul Engle

Writing Tips and Prompts

Chrys Fey presents Movies as Writing Inspiration posted at Write with Fey.

Sarah Goslee presents World Building with Real Worlds posted at Science in my Fiction.

Amber Lee Starfire presents A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Uncertainty posted at Writing Through Life.

Jennifer Derrick presents Journaling for a Frugal, More Productive Life posted at Saving Advice.

Michael presents Wedding Thank You Note Etiquette posted at Thank You Notes.

Creativity Boosts

Michael Nobbs presents The Creative Magic of a Daily Ritual posted at Writing Our Way Home.

Podcasts

James Artimus Owen joins the Writing Excuses podcasters to discuss Discovering Your Voice.

The Business of Creativity

Ali Luke presents Eight Powerful Ways to Build a Loyal Readership for Your Blog posted at Cat’s Eye Writer.

Spam of the Week

The wiring is different, so that would have to be changed too, along with a different relay, tho not sure about the relay.. . The wiring is part of a larger harness, so I doubt they could install it after it’s made.

That’s all for this week. Be sure to submit your article for next week’s Carnival of Creativity by Friday at midnight!

Time Spiral


It was commonly held in all the ancient magical books that there were four elements of magic: Air and Water, Earth and Fire. But centuries of study had revealed to Nicholas that there were, in fact, five elemental forces of magic. The fifth force was the magic of Time, the greatest of all magics. -Michael Scott, The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

Writing Prompt: Create a scene in which time functions as an element of magic for your character.

Journaling Prompt: How has time worked magic in your life?

Art Prompt: Time

Photo Credit: gadl on Flickr

Candles

Create whatever this visual prompt inspires in you!

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Photo by L.C.Nøttaasen on Flickr.
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Tagged with:
 

M&Ms Sorted by Color


We may joke about OCD, but we all have little ritualistic behaviors that we may not even be aware of doing. Why do we do them?

Almost every human and animal activity can be divided into three parts, Prof. Eilam explains — “preparatory,” “functional,” and “confirmatory.” The functional aspect is defined by the specific actions that must occur in order to complete a task. But the preparatory and confirmatory actions, dubbed “head” and “tail” actions by the researchers, are not strictly required in order to get the job done. We complete them both before and after the central task, but they are not necessarily related to it. Individuals complete different head and tail activities for every task.

During the course of their study, Prof. Eilam and his fellow researchers watched and analyzed videotapes of people completing common tasks, such as putting on a shirt, locking a car, or making coffee, as well as basketball players completing a free-throw. In the case of basketball players, explains Prof. Eilam, all they actually need to do to complete their action is throw the ball. So why the preceding ritualistic behavior, such as bouncing the ball precisely six times?

“The routine they perform in the moments before shooting the ball is a method to focus their full concentration and control their actions.” Prof. Eilam says. It’s also an essential part of sports psychology. If players feel that completing their repetitive actions will enhance their performance, they tend to be more successful. This could include anything from locker room antics to LeBron James’ infamous pre-game chalk toss. -Science Daily

Writing Prompt: Write a scene with a character using a ritualistic behavior they believe will help them be successful.

Journaling Prompt: What little habits do you use as rituals?

Art Prompt: Ritual

Photo Credit: Mr. T in DC on Flickr

Eyes in the sky

Here is a different take on PTSD with an interesting idea for how to heal the wound.

‘My colleagues and I suspect that the greatest lasting harm is from moral injury,’ says Litz, director of the Mental Health Core of the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiological Research and Information Center. He and six colleagues published an article on the topic in the December 2009 Clinical Psychological Review, in which they define moral injury as a wound that can occur when troops participate in, witness or fall victim to actions that transgress their most deeply held moral beliefs.

While the severity of this kind of wound differs from person to person, moral injury can lead to deep despair.

‘They have lost their sense that virtue is even possible,’ Shay says. ‘It corrodes the soul.’…
‘In traditional cultures, warriors always came back to tell their stories, to give witness and to do healing ceremonies in front of the entire community,’ Tick says. ‘The community witnessed the stories, felt the emotions, carried the burdens with their warriors and transferred responsibility for actions from the warriors to the community.’ -Miller-McCune

Writing Prompt: Create a ritual to help  your character heal from a moral injury.

Journaling Prompt: How do you heal your soul when you’ve sustained a moral injury.

Art Prompt: Healing

Photo Credit: The US Army on Flickr

Day 121



ablution n. (usually ablutions) FORMAL or HUMOROUS an act of washing oneself: the women performed their ablutions.

Writing Prompt: Create a ritual or habit for your character that involves ablution.

Journaling Prompt: What is your morning routine? How long have you been following that routine? What happens when it’s interrupted?

Art Prompt: Ablutions

Photo Credit: Perfecto Insecto on Flickr

Tiger statue


Before the written word, traditions and teachings were passed on through complicated dance, rituals and reenactments:

…hunt reenactments served a purpose greater than showing off. They were instructive. With expressive pantomime, and a few props, they demonstrated hunting techniques and tactics to youngsters and other clans. It was a way of developing and sharing skills. -Jean Auel, The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth’s Children, Book One)

Writing Prompt: Write a scene where a tradition or skill was passed on via reenactment.

Journaling Prompt: Write about a time when someone taught you something through demonstration.

Art Prompt: Hunt

Photo Credit: M Hillier on Flickr

Young man receives Baptism in the Pacific Ocean in Morro Bay, CA. Mass baptism performed on Easter Sunday 12 April 2009 at Morro Rock in Morro Bay, CA


I was baptized as an infant, but then made the choice to be baptized as an adult. I wanted to do it mindfully, as a sacred choice. This reading touched me.

Pilar and Daniel Weinberg’s son was baptized on the coast. The baptism taught him what was sacred.

They gave him a sea shell: “So you’ll learn to love the water.”

They opened a cage and let a bird go free: “So you’ll learn to love the air.”

They gave him a geranium: “So you’ll learn to love the earth.”

And they gave him a little bottle sealed up tight: “Don’t ever, ever open it. So you’ll learn to love mystery.” -Eduardo Galeano, Walking Words

Writing Prompt: Write a scene where your character is baptized. What gifts is she given, and what are the lessons they carry?

Journaling Prompt: Write about a baptism experience, yours or that of your child or family member.

Art Prompt: Baptism

Photo Credit: mikebaird on Flickr

 

Spirit of the Buffalo


The Magician is a popular archetype in science fiction and fantasy, but you will see Magicians all around you once you know what to look for. One very popular Magician is Martha Stewart, who has turned her knack for creating a beautiful home into a booming business. In this quote, we read about a more traditional magician courtesy of Jean Auel.

“Mog-ur pulled himself up to his feet, then threw his staff aside. Wrapped in his heavy bearskin cloak, the magician was an imposing figure. Only the older men, and Brun, ever knew him as anything but Mog-ur. The Mog-ur, the holiest of all the men who interceded with the world of the spirits, the most powerful magician of the Clan. When moved to eloquence during a ceremony, he was a charismatic, awe-inspiring protector. It was he who braved the invisible forces far more fearsome than any charging animal, forces that could turn the bravest hunter into a quaking coward. There was not a man present who did not feel more secure knowing it was he who was the magician of their clan, not a man who hadn’t stood in fear of his power and magic at some time in his life, and only one, Goov, who dared to think of trading places with him. Mog-ur, alone, stood between the men of the clan and the terrible unknown, and he became part of it by association. It imbued him with a subtle aura that carried over into his secular life. Even when he sat within the boundaries of his hearthstones, surrounded by his women, he was not really thought of as a man. He was more than, other than; he was Mog-ur.” -Jean Auel, The Clan of the Cave Bear

Writing Prompt: Write a scene or a poem about a Magician.

Journaling Prompt: Who in your life embodies the Magician archetype? Describe how you relate to that person.

Art Prompt: Magician

Photo Credit: h.koppdelaney on Flickr

 

John William Waterhouse-Circe The Sorceress


arcane adj. understood by few; mysterious or secret: arcane procedures for electing people. arcanely adv. mid 16th century: from Latin arcanus, from arcere ‘to shut up’, from arca ‘chest’.

Writing Prompt: Write a scene using the word or concept “arcane”

Journaling Prompt: What kind of arcane knowledge would you like to have?

Art Prompt: Arcane

Photo Credit: John William Waterhouse-Circe The Sorceress shared by FrauBucher on Flickr