Cornercopia

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.

How did you do with last week’s laundry list of creative activities using our pockets to nudge ourselves into a more creative space? Did emptying your pockets reveal any unexpected stories? In football, being “in the pocket” means the quarterback (you in this metaphor) is well protected, and can therefore take their time to complete a pass. How did it feel to use pockets as a way to give yourself a little extra time and space to do something artistic? Whether you created a visual diary of pocket treasures, wrote and hid messages to yourself throughout your week, or used your pockets like some kind of magician’s assistant, I hope you found inspiration in those small, intimate spaces you found. 

This week, we're looking out again at the bigger world, that one full of twisting and turning paths that take us all over town and all over the country. When two paths intersect, they create our object of focus this week: corners. They serve as points of direction, spaces of intersection, and often hold historical or personal significance.

I come up with some of my favorite ideas in the car, so it’s no surprise that you’ll find plenty of examples of this week’s creative nudge on your next trip to the store or walk around the block. I bet you can find a few dozen corners to contemplate without leaving your desk. Let’s take control of a little corner of our creative personas and see where a few minutes on this creative turn can take us:

1. Storied Corner: Take a walk through your neighborhood and choose a corner that catches your eye. It could be the corner of a street, a building, or even a garden. Spend a few minutes observing it from different angles. Write a short story or a poem inspired by this corner. Consider its history, the people who pass by, and the changes it has witnessed over time.
2. Corner Collections: Explore the corners in your home or office and photograph what you find. Look for interesting shadows, unexpected objects, or unique architectural details. Arrange the photos in a collage or digital album, highlighting the beauty and intrigue found in every corner.
3. Directional Dialogues: Corners are often used in giving directions or describing locations. Write a dialogue or a script where characters navigate a city or office building using only descriptions of corners. How do these directions shape their journey and interactions? 
4. Corner Art: Choose a corner in your home or workspace and transform it into a mini art installation. Use materials like fabric, lights, or found objects to create a visual piece. Reflect on how altering this small space changes the feel of the entire room. This project encourages you to see corners not just as empty spaces, but as opportunities for creative expression.

As we explore corners this week, let’s appreciate their role in shaping our environments and experiences. Corners can be places of transition, points of convergence, or spaces of refuge. By examining and transforming these common places we visit daily, we can uncover new layers of meaning and inspiration.

Did you know that the corner of 9th and Market in Riverside is home to the Sister City Street Sign? This entrance to White Park features the names and distances to Riverside's sister cities around the world, representing cultural exchange, cooperation, and friendship. It’s just one of many corners in this city that can help you learn something, or maybe just keep you guessing.

When you were a kid, a time out in the corner was a punishment. How great is it to be an adult now, handing out time-outs, and sentencing yourself at least 7 minute in the creative corner? Let the experience remind you that good creative energy is needed to navigate the turns ahead in life; embrace the intersections and the spaces in between, and let carry you.

Together, let’s continue to explore the world around us with curious minds and open hearts. Here’s to finding beauty and inspiration in the most unexpected places, and to the endless corners of creative discovery that lie ahead.

This column written with the help of a customized GPT from OpenAI. If I can make one, so can you!