12 June 2009

unfold the creases


writing prompts | week 09.

unfold the creases and create. lets play origami.

it's been a long time since i've done a write club post, they are difficult for me to conjure for some reason. posting about zack morris is much easier. posting about nothing is easier than posting about something. hope you'll forgive me for my delays. this rainy day friday has me in an introspective mood which is always a good mood for writing. come to think of it, any mood is good for writing.

i've been thinking about these two favorite quotes (image above) and what they mean in my life right now. i've been looking back in my journals and notice a common thread. i see a lot of wildly jotted questions. when i feel at a standstill in life, i often list a bunch of wonders all over the page. some examples; when will we finish school? when will i get a job i actually like? where will dan go to law school? when will we get out of this tiny apartment? when will i know what i want to do? where are we going to live? when will i have a baby? will i ever get over the fear of childbirth? they go on and on.

i think i list because (being me) i have to somehow categorize the unknown in a way that makes sense. once i get it down, i try to let it be. i think i will write wild questions until i am grey and wrinkled and have everything figured out in my old age. therapeutically, the questions, over time answer themselves. later i look back at them and think, if only i had known.

because we did move out of that first apartment where i started small and crafted cards for friends and family. i thought martacards was a cute name for my mini empire. we eventually moved to the big bold world of orange county, california where dan started law school. i realized making cards was not my thing, i got sick of the x-acto knife and felt frustrated that a thousand other girls were making cards, and making much cuter cards. plus selling cards was not bringing home any bacon.

with time, i figured out what i wanted to do. i designed. and miraculously landed a graphic design job that i was completely unqualified for. so i learned. and i grew. and was humbled by my ignorance. i realized what i wanted and later, what i'd gained. i liked designing printed material, collaging was a good outlet for me, i could be a working woman, i could work hard if i knew saturday (beach day) was only a few days away. i unfolded piece by piece. later, we'd have our first little one in the quiet country life of idaho. i'd become a mom without the drama i'd imagined. it was simple, like i was meant for it. and everyday i make it up as i go. another piece unfolds. and we start again. letting the questions untangle with time.

01. make a list of questions. silly and smart. trite and bold. let loose all the wonders inside. write them all down and then stop worrying about them. they now have a place on the page, don't let them take over the rest of your life. stop wondering about the unknowns. easier said than done, i know.

02. in what ways has your life turned out differently than you thought? how has life flipped you on the bright side? what experiences have left you thinking, am glad that happened, i learned so much from it..

03. how do you create and pave your own path? describe what this quote means to you; life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.

unfold yourself. find what's inside. let it out.
create a path that is fit for your potential.

happy weekend. may it be uncrowded, lazy and warm where you are. dan is doing a marathon relay and i am going to make guacamole, clean craft space and get some more blonde put in. oh how i love the salon, among other things. benji's new love; graham crackers.

9 comments:

Travelin'Oma said...

You say what's in my heart so much better than I can say it. And lots of times I hadn't defined my problem and then you provide a solution. I'm going to list my wonders right now.

I've discovered that life is full of wonders all the way through. At the end of each stage I've learned what I needed to know, but only for what I just finished experiencing. And then I start worrying about the next one. My faith gets stronger that I'll be able to handle it, because when I look back, I've handled some stuff that looked impossible looking forward.

Eleanor said...

ahhh thank you so much for this prompt! It's going to be so much fun to pick this back up. Just as you've been having trouble writing prompts, I bet I've had more issues writing them, haha. But I am excited to get the creativity going again, so thank you!

Also, I am INCREDIBLY excited about the Saved by the Bell reunion as well. Jimmy Fallon = Genius.

Anonymous said...

this prompt is great! i'm looking forward to it. it was definitely worth the wait!!!

p.s. love the quotes also!

::Sylvia:: said...

I think the first item on your mom's list of wonders will be you! What a beautiful thing!

Glad to see the write club is back! I'll be posting my list of wonders soon!

Maybe do the first Monday of each month is weekly is becoming a hassle... :)

Misti said...

I love rereading my journals. Sometimes I think what an idiot I was, but often times I had some good wisdom that somehow got lost along the way. It also refreshes me on my goals and dreams and sometimes I have to refer back to them.

Tiffany said...

First of all, I love everything you post, across the entire spectrum. Don't ever change.

Second, your writing prompts are thoughtful and brilliant. Thank you for sharing your talent. I love those quotes.

KJ said...

most excellent, Marta. Did you find a good place for your hair? Please share.

summer said...

love this. another brilliant, inspiring, and beautiful prompt. thank you, marta! i especially enjoyed the little unfolding of your own life that you shared. it's so fun to look back and realize how everything has turned out so amazing.

ps. happy highlighting! woohoo!

amy said...

marta dearest. i'm sitting in my room in India jotting down all of your write club prompts. I can't wait to share them with my 12th graders, who have only begun to think about life the way you do. if i have one blog to check with my limited internet, it's yours.

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