Postcards land in your mailbox. How do you respond? Right now, "Wish You Were Here" doesn't seem to be the right phrase. How about using a writing prompt instead?
What would be your response to these two prompts?
The prompts came from Jennifer Belthoff, creator of Love Notes, an online Facebook group of writers who send postcards to each other. Jennifer suggests prompts to the writers in the group and encourages us to think about what the prompts mean to us.
When I taught English to Middle School students, I often used Kenneth Koch's book, Wishes, Lies and Dreams, which provided me with a bundle of ideas to help kids learn to write poetry. As we all know, poetry writing can be difficult unless you can break the process down into one-word or one-sentence responses that combine to become poems.
Koch suggested these phrases as starting points:
I wish....
I used to be/now I am....
What would you say in response to these two prompts?
Here is my answer to the word Together:
Give the prompts a try. If you like your results, submit your postcard to Pacific Art League's upcoming postcard exhibit. Deadline is April 25. Here's a link for more information:
I've been practicing monoline lettering this week. I took a refresher course with Rick Paulus at Castle in the Air in Berkeley just before the Covid-19 hit California. I like the the use of a round-tip ink pen to make letters that are all the same width instead of the thick and thin lines of a pointed pen or square-tipped pen, the bane of a leftys' lettering progress.
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| Pointed pen, large square-tipped Parallel pen, & a round-tip pen |
Check for classes:
https://www.castleintheair.biz
Might you consider having your "Be the Light" watercolor printed and sold for note cards? I love the design, the colors are bright and the words are very meaningful. I love seeing your blog on Friday mornings. Thanks so much for sharing it with us every week.
ReplyDeleteI'm reproducing the cards now. As soon as I get them back from the printer, I will post a message on my blog. Thank you for asking, Tena. I'm glad my blog is something you enjoy each week. Cheers, and stay safe.
DeleteFirst. I LOVE that top postcard and I'm happy to have it in my collection. Second, your response to the prompt is awesome! I love that card too and the lettering. Also, thanks for the book title. I'm going to see if I can find it. I might be able to use it the next time I teach a poetry lesson at my son's school. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Chandra, Thank you for your kind words. I've decided to reproduce that card and have it for sale on my blog. I'll let you know when they get back from the printers. Thanks also for continuing to read my posts and leaving comments.
DeleteThis is what "Together" prompts.
ReplyDeleteTogether in companionable silence.
Together listening from afar,
Each in our own homes,
Contained.
Nothing forced.
Nothing prescribed.
Just what emerges from our hearts.
Silence is how hearts speak
"We are together"
"We are merged but intact"
"We are safe"
"I hear you"
😍
I love these, FLo. Thank you for responding to the prompt. Would you mind if I republish your poem next week?
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ReplyDeleteMartha, your prompt inspired a poem that I left as a comment earlier but later revised. I am sharing the revision which appeared today in the SF Chronicle Op-Ed section! Thanks for the inspiration, and I look forward to purchasing your beautiful note cards.
ReplyDeleteTogether
Empty streets,
faces, cloaked in masks,
neighbors, withdrawn
for all but the most essential tasks;
fear of others' pestilence,
or what might lie
inside ourselves;
all humanity on pause,
separate in a common cause.
What a great collection of monoline letters, Martha! Each one having a different voice. And, the tools and layout sketches provide great information for those who do not know the process. Wonderful!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rick. Your class has been an inspiration for me.
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