Imaginative Storm

Lonesome Pine Special, Charles Wright wrote:

What is it inside the imagination that keeps surprising us
At odd moments when something is given back
We didn’t know we had had, In solitude, spontaneously, and with great joy?

One of the many wonderful things about being a student is that you get to participate in very cool workshops. We were invited to attend an evening workshop last week at NUIG with none other than Allegra Huston and her business partner James Navé.

http://www.allegrahuston.com/ or http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0424/1224245291814.html

http://www.imaginativestorm.com/index.html

Navé, the creator of what they call Imaginative Storm paced up and down the aisles of our seminar room chanting "What is it inside the imagination that keeps surprising us at odd moments when something is given back we didn’t know we had had. In solitude, spontaneously, and with great joy? We were in a bit of a trance for a while and played along with his word games and then got down to work - opening our imaginations!

One of the exercises we had to do that evening was the one I have described below. Navé recommends everyone tries this whether you are a student or not. It opens up the door to some far off memory of something you may have forgotten about entirely - you will surprise yourself at how much you remember. This is grrrrrrreeeeeaaaaaaattttttttt for Writers Block!

Instructions:

Think back as far as you can to your childhood.
Do you remember something poignant or very sad that happened during that time.
Choose a memory that you struggle to recall.
Something you barely recollect.

Now, (and quickly) on a blank sheet of paper write for ten minutes everything you do not remember about this incident beginning your piece like this "I do not remember......"

The piece I wrote (below) was about a stay in hospital I had as a very young child and for some strange reason I am quite attached to this piece even though I remember nothing about the duration of time in hospital.

What I remember most................

I do not remember a lot of things regarding a stay I had in hospital as a very young child. There are so many things about this story I do not remember I reckon I could write a book about it. Assuming I am able to 'not remember' half of what I need to write, it should make for an interesting read.

If only I could remember a few details about Irene. The pretty girl in the bed next to mine with the jet back hair, startling ice blue eyes and snowwhite skin. Or did I make this up? I do not remember how cute Colin really was as he hopped up on my hospital bed trying to get me in trouble by hiding things from the stern nurses. It would help if I could remember what age we all were because somewhere between four and eight seems a little vague don't you think? No, nothing. I am drawing a blank!

I do not remember why Irene could not walk or why Colin was a longterm patient. I do not remember if I was in hospital for six days, or six weeks or six months. I do not remember if we played together every single day like the inseperable BestFriendsForever I imagine we were, or if we just played together only one time. I do not remember if the priest came to say mass or if he just needed to bless us because we were sick.

I do not remember if the flowers were red or white on the day I discovered Irene's empty bed. I do not want to remember that. I do not remember if Colin came in to my hospital room every night to kiss me goodnight, or if was only just that one time - but boy, do I remember that!

That is all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna