I used to have a large collection of buttons. Large, small, stylish, plain, these buttons were a variety of shapes and colors spanning generational shifts in style. I could pick any button and let myself imagine the original article of clothing. Once done, I would imagine the person wearing that shirt or sweater or coat etc. A second button would be their counterpart or the antagonist. Scenarios arose involving the wearer of the tailored white shirt and the wearer of the green frumpy sweater. The buttons were a catalyst that drove my imagination. Often they inspired characters for my short stories.
I’ve always collected things. Bottle caps had been my first serious venture. My favorites caps were “Have a DAD’S…tastes like ROOT BEER should” and the Coke bottle caps with the image and name of a sports figure printed inside.
These days my collection is very simple. I have my books and I have my toys.
I’m not speaking of the classic “Big Boy Toys” like sports cars, jet skis, and turbo powered whatchamacallits. My toys are like me. Simple.
If you poke your head in my office you will see bookshelves, a slinky, a chess board, silly putty, dice, a stuffed Sesame Street Grover (a present from my wife because she knows Grover is the bomb), nail puzzles, crossword magazines, a Rubik’s Cube, and the list goes on. You will also see a very nice globe and stand.
I don’t like writer’s block. My simple toys allow me to escape to a place where I don’t have to think. I can relax, play, read a book, listen to the Bose, and find a way back to myself. It doesn’t take long. Maybe thirty minutes. Maybe a day. But I always find my way back and the block is gone.
Seasoned writers and rookies alike experience the blank page. Seasoned writers have internalized their toy box. A mental roll of the dice reveals an enjoyable storyline. Rookies need to reach out and mold the playdough now and again.
Whichever skill set, every writer has something that frees their mind, allowing them to imagine what might be. Every writer has that moment of “It wasn’t until it was”.
So when the blank page is demanding action, open the toy box and let the ideas come as they will.
With all this said, I have one final item to share.
Studies have shown the importance of play. Children who play have healthy brain development and tend to be more successful adults. Adults who play are more creative, have improved relationships and have good problem solving skills.
So go, play, support the arts, read a book, watch a movie, daydream, or just grab the playdough and give it a squeeze. It’ll do you good.
My Click Here selections were both written on a whim. The first is an inexact parody of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. It was written some twenty years ago as a challenge at a Halloween party. I called it With Apologies To EAP. *With Apologies to EAP has been moved to the poetry section. The second was an entry in a twenty-four hour short story contest. Each contestant received the same E-mail at noon on Saturday. The E-mail gave a word count, a three line bit of text to be incorporated, a request for a surprise ending, and the word GO. I used two hours and decided to submit far before the noon Sunday deadline. It's not great, but it was fun to write.