At 70 years old, Pete Staylor continues his mission to raise funds and awareness for arthritis research, proving that age is no barrier to making a difference.
Do you need a low stress way to include seven minutes of creative contemplation into your week? Consider this your helpful nudge towards a slightly more creative life. If it helps, come back every week for a quick hit of creative contemplation. Each week I’ll share a new nudge. It will include a Thing (T), a Place (P), and a Sense(S) for your focus, a TPS creative nudge.
Last week, we ventured into the vast spaces around us. Did you challenge your balance with standing yoga? Perhaps you noticed the spaces between items on a plate of food, or played around with perspective in your selfies. Wherever that seven minutes (or more) of creative play took you, I'm thrilled to have you back.
Ready to begin another creative self-exploration? Today, we’re packing light - just bring along your curious mindset…and an intention to pay attention.
Let’s cultivate inspiration from something that leads to perspiration: the sun. This week’s creative nudge is about using our temperature perception to stoke our imaginations. The sun illuminates our world, casting light on the beauty that surrounds us. By focusing on our sense of temperature perception, we can further appreciate the interplay between light and our physical sensations.
For this creative nudge, find a comfortable spot—whether in a chair or on the ground—and bask in the presence of sunlight or any source of light. The typical June gloom and patchy clouds this season will only bring more elements of chance to the exercise. Close your eyes, allow the warmth to sink into your skin. Notice the subtle changes in temperature and how it influences your perception of comfort. How do different parts of you react to sudden temperature changes?
As you immerse yourself in light, consider engaging in the following creative activities to deepen your experience:
Shadow Play: Observe the intricate dance of shadows cast by objects in the sunlight. Experiment with creating shapes and forms using your hands or other objects. Explore the interplay between light and shadow, appreciating the contrast and visual drama it brings.
Light Painting: Embrace the magic of long-exposure photography by capturing the trails of light with your camera or smartphone. Try moving it around in a darkened room or outdoor space while taking a long exposure shot. Create captivating light paintings that capture the ephemeral, luminous trails.
Sun-inspired Poetry: Pen a poem or haiku that captures the essence of the sun's energy, its role in nature, or its impact on your emotions and perceptions. Here’s a prompt within our prompt - The sun makes me…
Solar Sketching: Set up an easel or grab a sketchpad, pencils, or paints. Position yourself where sunlight spills onto your artistic space. Let the changing patterns of light and shadow overtake you.
As you engage in these activities, be present in the moment, attuning yourself to the interplay of light, temperature, and your creative expressions. Notice how the coolness of shadows and the nuances of light awaken your senses and ignite your imagination.
By embracing the radiant presence of the sun, we tap into a wellspring of inspiration. Through heightening our temperature perception and exploring the interplay of light and sensation, we deepen our connection to the world around us and infuse our creative endeavors with newfound energy. Any sunflower you meet this week will tell you the same.
Note: portions of this prompt created using the tool ChatGPT.
