Greetings, symbiotic storytellers! Last week, we got down to study the slow, quiet ecosystems of moss and lichen, discovering a world of partnerships that work and creative play that entertains. What did you find when you gazed at ground level? Did you learn something about your big plans while observing life on a smaller scale?
This week, we're eschewing the natural world and heading back into the realm of the white collar and shiny shoes. Indoors or out, we never let limits limit our creative impulse. Our creative nudge this week is often employed as the final step of the creative writing process: the paperclip. But there is no reason why it can’t join us at the starting line for a change.
It’s a puzzling object with a nifty design. I’ve never finished a box of them, and yet, they are everywhere—dusty corners, junk drawers, and scattered across the detritus on my desk. I certainly didn’t put them there, but there they are.
And while our nudge is strictly low tech, it was the new wave in its day. Let's have a moment of silence for all the ancient tech that the paperclip replaced, from straight pins to wax seals. Do you wonder, like I do, if paperclips resent binder clips for taking some of its market share? If office supplies had a social hierarchy, where would the paperclip attach itself?
With a little creative energy, we can make the paperclip so much more than what it was designed for. Consider the paperclip your improv partner today, a source of creative play that’s here to stay. The paperclip is aptly named but its useful magic lies in its unintended uses and the creativity it sparks when we simply let our minds wander. Start that Zoom meeting, deconstruct some paperwork, and start stretching your imagination with one or more of these handouts:
Maraca Music (Sound & Rhythm): Find a handful of paperclips and an empty container, like an old coffee can or plastic bucket. Create a short musical piece or a rhythmic soundscape. Record it on your phone. Can you make different rhythms by changing the number of paperclips or the material of the container?
Game Night (Conceptual & Design): Invent a new game using only paperclips. It could be a solo game to pass the time, like seeing how long of a chain you can make, or a multi-player challenge, like a target-based toss game. Sketch or write down the rules of your new paperclip game.
Breakroom Brainstorm (3D & Found Art): Use paperclips to build a small sculpture. You can unbend them, link them, or use them as connectors. The challenge is to not use any other materials. What kind of structure can you create with their simple line design?
Paperclip Clip (Narrative & Personification): Imagine the life of a single paperclip. Where did it come from? What was its journey from the factory to the box, and how did it end up alone on your floor? Write a short story from its perspective, documenting its adventures and the strange uses it has endured.
Peripheral Paperclip (Visual & Tactile): Place a paperclip under a piece of paper and use a crayon or soft lead pencil to create a rubbing. The result is a simple, abstract print. Experiment with different paperclip shapes or use multiple paperclips to create a complex pattern. How does the pea sized lump go from irritant to evidence of your artistic ability?
The paperclip reminds us that great ideas don't require grand materials—just a curious mind. It is a symbol of our ability to improvise and adapt, a tiny-tot sized tool that can be so much more than what it was designed to be. Frankly that’s how I feel when I feel my best. I’m confident mundane objects can be transformed through playful curiosity; mundane parts of our day are no different.
This column was written with the help of Google’s Gemini Advanced a powerful generative AI writing tool.
