The Magic of Firsts
27-28: One Month of Magic
As we come to the end of our challenge, it’s important to decide how you will keep the magic close. How can you remind yourself about the awe and power of living when you are not trying to consciously pay attention and write about it?
As someone with a young child, I can tell you that so much inspiration comes from doing something for the first time. Watching Nova experience the world is one of the greatest gifts of my life. On days that seem less sparkly, I try to do the same—whether it is trying that weird grapefruit tonic coffee drink or cliff diving. When you do something for the first time, you become a new version of yourself— person who does (insert magical and new and exciting and possibly scary thing here).
This weekend, I want you to try as many firsts as you can. When you experience them, ask yourself the following questions: What does this bring up in me? Why have I chosen this thing? What kind of person does this make me? How does it feel?
Prompt: Do something new and write about it. Ask yourself how you felt during the experience. How can something as small (like changing the way you part your hair) or bug (like finally confronting a selfish friend) change you? Do you want to be changed? Why or why not?
One Month of Magic guidelines:
For the month of July, post a daily prompt to inspire magical thinking.
Read and respond to the prompt by writing for seven, seventeen, or seventy-seven minutes—whatever you like—exploring what it stirs inside you. That’s it. It’s easy and breezy and designed to make you consider things deeper to search for sparkle.
After you write, post your response in the comments section of that day's post (only available to paid subscribers). Offer feedback to at least two people. Celebrate and clarify what is magical about one another’s work. How it deepened your own awareness and awe.
Posts will NOT be emailed—don’t want to spam people—but they will be posted on chat. So, if you want a daily magical ping, turn the chat feature and notifications on. You can find how in your settings.
I wanted to get out on the water and land my first forward loop, my first shove-it. But alas, the windless and my own exhausted limbs prevented another try at that. Here is the first stanza of my first lonely cat lady poem (how many thousands of those have been written this week, lol??), and possibly the first poem I've written about my preteen pet, Micki. I think it's gonna be a sestina, but I'm not sure.
Another Lonely Cat Lady
I have no cats—
not since found Micki, her mouth and black
nose bleeding. I held her to my brand new breasts,
my hands in her tuxedo coat. The snow deep,
the ground frozen too hard
to bury her. I was thirteen. She was three.