Writing prompt: Reflecting on 2024
With this year coming to its close and the upcoming year on the horizon, many of us are taking the opportunity to reflect upon a year that has been at times tumultuous, and at times enlightening. For this straightforward writing exercise, we encourage you to slow down and make space to process this year in poetic form. As always, this prompt is an invitation; follow it as closely as feels comfortable for yourself.
To start, carve out a space that feels personal for you to write in. Could be at your desk, your local business, or just the corner of your room. From there, give yourself the chance to breathe. With each inhale, consider what, to you, are experiential moments that stand out from this year. They can be joyous or sorrowful, little or large. Whatever is emerging for you now as indicative of this year, grab onto it and jot it down on a piece of paper. A few words to encompass the memory will do – you know what they mean.
Once your list feels complete, give it a look-over. Then, decide on one of these memories that you’re curious to explore in writing. Would you like to revisit those feelings? Or perhaps there’s more you wish to unearth about this moment? When you’ve decided on which memory to center, put a timer on for three minutes. In this time, consider what sensory details persist for you and free-write these details. What did you feel in this experience? The five senses qualify, alongside emotional feeling, intuition, premonitions. While you’re going, you might find your mind drifting towards other details that inform this memory – for instance, the feeling of joy you felt in your body might have emerged from a feeling of despair earlier in the day. Write down anything that appears – our feelings are not easily confined to the box of “that moment”; we are always informed by what happened before and what happened after.
When time is up, glance down at your free-write. Congratulations! You’ve taken even just a few minutes to treat your memory with care. You could leave this free-write as a composition, or if you’re interested, use this as a jumping-off point for a new piece, in whatever form feels most appropriate. You could also return to your memory list at any time, select a different memory, and give yourself another few minutes to reflect. We hope your last weeks of 2024 treat you kindly.