A gift of a writing prompt
The December holiday season is one period of the year when gifts are constantly in our thoughts. Between the targeting ads, the large window displays, and the universal expectations of what makes for a “good gift”, it can become a stressful period of time – both for the mind, and for the wallet. For this writing prompt, we encourage you to step away from the capitalistic concerns of what money can grant you, and instead, consider a creative expression that can make for a quaint gift. This can be a gift for another, or this can be a gift for yourself. As always, prompts are always invitations; follow as closely to the writing as you’d like.
Procure a small piece of paper, or otherwise limit the size of the canvas you are working on. Notecards would work best for this, but you can also cut down a larger piece of paper, or if working digitally, zoom in on the corner of your document, as examples. On this small canvas, write a person’s name at the top that you’d like to write towards. Then, focus on your experiences with this person. What about their characteristics make them who they are, in your eyes? Try to see if you can generate a list of these characteristics, with a set of categories for you to consider:
Their physical characteristics, observable by the eye (hair color, the way their mouth bends when they smile, etc.)
Other sensorial images you associate with them (the smell of the food they cook, the genre of music they play in the car, etc.)
Gestures that stand out to you, or moments in which you felt you truly understood them as an individual (the ride they gave you to the airport, the in-depth 2 a.m. conversation you had, etc.)
The characteristics you’ve only caught a glimmer of (the way their face flushes when they’re mad, the memory of their grandma’s house they only mention in passing, etc.)
What about them brings you curiosity (their views on philosophy, their poetry, etc.)
As you’re writing out this list, remember the limited space you have, and try to be exact with your words. Treat this as if you’re writing a recipe on a card, for someone else to access. What is the precise ingredient, and what are its measurements? What becomes critical to understanding the person you’ve named? Treat this angle as literally or as figuratively as you’d like; this is a recipe for you, after all.
Give yourself between three and five minutes to fill out your list. Once you’re done, step back and reflect. Depending on what you’ve focused on, this could itself be a gift – feel free to offer this “recipe” to your recipient. You may take this a step further as well; using this “recipe”, craft a new composition that feels as though it integrates what you’ve identified. By the end of your writing, you’ll have “cooked” up a composition representative of the person you’ve focused on. You can give it to the other person, or you can keep it for yourself, giving yourself the gift of digging just a little deeper into a relationship that’s significant to you.