The other day, in English class, our teacher encouraged us to tap into the depths of our imagination through a creative 30 minute exercise. We were instructed to close our eyes and think about a person who we find "interesting." Then, we had to begin constructing a painting in our mind with that person as the subject. After a few minutes of pure abstract thought, we were told to write down the painting we had created for 20 minutes. Then, we got to hear everybody's description. This type of creative, inspiring assignment was a mind-blowing experience that forced us to take our eyes off our screens and engage with so many different parts of the brain: the visual (abstract), the written (concrete), and the auditory (communicating). Here is what my mind managed to create.
Mr. Moffat stands atop a simple stage, not one that towers above the mind but one that creates a mild sentiment of elevation and authority. In his hands are a book and a pen, with the latter infusing itself into the outspread pages of he literary work. With this fusion comes a flow of ideas, represented by a fluid spiral that descends near the bottom of the canvas and enters the mind of the pupil.
With his eyes closed, the pupil is replicating Mr. Moffat's gesture, though his hands remain empty. His eyebrows are tilted in an expression of apprehension, an intense moment of overwhelming ideas and themes. His mouth is slightly ajar, and he is not cognizant of the elements of the temporal world that surround him. The trees behind Mr. Moffat's stage, the birds soaring in the bright blue sky, and the tall grasses that reach the calves merely blend into a peaceful background.
In the top left corner of the painting, the imagination is presented to the viewer in more garish, flamboyant colors and hues. A delicate line envelops the mind's images above the boy and starkly contrasts the adjacent sky. In these images, one can find a variety of scenes: a small girl with a bright dress amidst a field of dazzling flowers, hunched over a skull fastened to a rope; a black box mounted on a tripod of wooden batons, with a pile of stones close by; a wall composed of similar stones that runs through the scenes with an apple orchard near its origin; flames engulfing what is now but a pile of soot, though a few books trailing near the incandescent mound provide a clue; a red wagon, its handle slowly being dragged along the ground; and in the center, a window looking out at the tops of a row of trees with a bright sun in the corner.
I would highly recommend this exercise to anyone who needs a break from screens and wants to tap into another part of their brain. As you can see, you can go so many places with such a simple prompt!
11/16/20