111 Day Artistic Spirit Pledge: Spiritual Growth Through Creative Expression
Day 19: Creativity Prompt #3 (A Long Time Ago)
Use the following Creativity Prompt as inspiration for a work of art. Write a story. Paint a picture. Sketch the setting on your canvas. Or, come up with a themed menu for a dinner party.
SETTING: You’re standing in the middle of a cemetery, gravestones all around you.
- SIGHT: What does the setting look like? Is the sun rising or setting? Are there other people present? Are the headstones new and towering? Have some headstones fallen over or sunk into the ground, covered by overgrown weeds? Do flags adorn some of the gravestones?
- SOUND: What do you hear? Is the cemetery near a busy intersection or surrounded only by nature? Airplanes flying overhead? Train whistles in the distance? Is someone praying over a loved one’s grave
- AROMA: Perhaps you brought flowers with you. Maybe there’s an older gentlemen sitting on a bench smoking a cigar. Can you smell your beloved grandfather’s favorite cologne or grandmother’s perfume? Are you holding a cup of coffee in your hand?
- TASTE: Are you chewing gum or sucking on a mint? Is it tradition to have a picnicked lunch at the family plot every year? Does the very idea of visiting a grave make you feel ill?
- TOUCH: What does it feel like to brush your hands over the gravestone’s inscription? Do you sense a supernatural presence? Is someone next to you squeezing your hand tight as you pay your respects?
**I am an Artistic Spirit! For most of my life I’ve used the creative arts as a source of spiritual exploration and healing, even though I didn’t always do so consciously. Sometimes I was the instrument creating the art and other times I was on the receiving end. The connection between art and spirituality is so significant in my life that it’s infused into everything I do. I love music, theatre, television drama series (daytime and primetime), and creative writing and find fulfillment in artistic expression of various sorts: singing, acting, and jewelry design. Throughout the next 93 days, I’ll delve into how all of the above strengthens my spirit and has saved my life on more than one occasion.**
Kelly Deeny 