Ever since I was a kid I've loved.......toys!! Well, of course, you say "What kid doesn't like toys?" The problem is that even as an adult I'd dream about toys. What well-respected adult admits that? Finally, after so many years of my guilty secret, I broke down and decided that I'd start to collect toys.....for my future grandchildren! I needed some excuse! So, I went to the local second hand shops and see what they had: I then began to think of archetypes - I needed heroes, villains, fairytale and storybook characters, animal friends and props. I also found miniature village scene props at Christmas - bridges, sundials, and gazebos! Hey, then I discovered aquarium scenes - Greek columns, archways, hollow stumps and temples! So began my storytelling - by going through my collection, I'd pick out characters and props that "called to me" at that moment. I set up my table in my studio with a cloth draped over top of small boxes for a landscape. Then I would just begin telling the story - out loud to myself. It is pretty hilarious, but at this point I'd lost all idea of "dignity" because wasn't I an adult playing with toys? I'd start with the main characters, tell their story and how they met the following characters, where they went and what they did.......pretty simple. Loads of fun! Then I'd write the story down while it was fresh in my mind. It always amazed me how my story would start, without any end in mind, and continue on through a challenge to come to a unique and perfect solution with a happy ending! The story would just meander along until the end, coming together like a perfect puzzle without any effort on my part! There's a lesson in there somewhere!
I had explored this urge before. I began collecting archetype images from the internet - isn't is a wonderful tool when you can type in "gate" on Google images and thousands of images come up? Of course, there is copyright, but I used these images for reference photos, so none of my personal images resulted in a direct copy of someone else's photo. I made 5"x 7" cards, and would lay them out the same way as above : which image "called to me"? But I didn't actually get around to the story telling part. I just loved the images!
Before any of this happened, I'd play with my daughter when she was little, and we'd tell stories with her toys. It was natural and effortless. She had a fairytale felt board and also a fairytale stamp collection, which of course were "archetypes" and I would do the same thing : pick a character and tell the story as it went along on its own volition. One night, with my present husband, he said "Tell me a story" and I proceeded to verbally relate a story that was playing out in my mind like a movie. It was an amazing story of transformation, involving a wolf and a maiden. I understood the symbolism of the story, later. It was a lovely idea and I will share it here another day.
So my moral of this story is - don't be embarrassed about unexplainable, innocent urges! These are our creative muse trying to communicate to ourselves and the world about the natural healing character of our deepest self. We can heal ourselves and our communities when we nurture and listen to this limitless well of wisdom and love.
I had explored this urge before. I began collecting archetype images from the internet - isn't is a wonderful tool when you can type in "gate" on Google images and thousands of images come up? Of course, there is copyright, but I used these images for reference photos, so none of my personal images resulted in a direct copy of someone else's photo. I made 5"x 7" cards, and would lay them out the same way as above : which image "called to me"? But I didn't actually get around to the story telling part. I just loved the images!
Before any of this happened, I'd play with my daughter when she was little, and we'd tell stories with her toys. It was natural and effortless. She had a fairytale felt board and also a fairytale stamp collection, which of course were "archetypes" and I would do the same thing : pick a character and tell the story as it went along on its own volition. One night, with my present husband, he said "Tell me a story" and I proceeded to verbally relate a story that was playing out in my mind like a movie. It was an amazing story of transformation, involving a wolf and a maiden. I understood the symbolism of the story, later. It was a lovely idea and I will share it here another day.
So my moral of this story is - don't be embarrassed about unexplainable, innocent urges! These are our creative muse trying to communicate to ourselves and the world about the natural healing character of our deepest self. We can heal ourselves and our communities when we nurture and listen to this limitless well of wisdom and love.
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