17. Write a story

Write a story beginning with:

• As a child I….
  
• I remember….
  
• The last time I….
  
• Today I saw | heard | noticed….

13. Picasso Portrait

Picasso Portrait: Look in the mirror and draw a self-portrait without looking at your paper, and without lifting your pencil from the paper’s surface. This is actually called a "blind contour" drawing.

Try doing this each morning. Or, if you're not into drawing yourself, draw someone or something else. Not only does this hone hand-eye coordination, but it helps your observation skills as well.

10. Be a Gourmet Chef

Photo by conceptDawg.

Here's a chance to take off your many hats (Mom, Boss, Spouse, etc), and try on your very own Chef's hat (unless, of course, you are a Chef).

Why not treat yourself to a three or five course meal? - Just as fun as eating it, is preparing it. Immerse yourself in all of the aromas, colors, and tactility of the foods. Spend time with each ingredient: smell it, taste it, look at it (I mean really look at it, as if you've never seen one of those before in your life!)

Treat yourself to foods you've never tried. Ever wondered what the difference between a Papaya and a Mango is? What a cumquat tastes like? or an Ugly fruit? Well, this is your chance.

Leaf through your cooking magazines, cookbooks, check out Everyday Food, etc. for recipe ideas.

Once your menu is set, make a grocery list & shop for your ingredients with the same curiosity and adventurous style with which you are going to prepare them. This is one big, beautiful culinary adventure, savour every aspect of it! In fact, why not shop at the Farmer's Market, an Ethnic Market, or a grocery store you've not visited before?

And when it comes time to sit and eat the food, do it in a way you wouldn't ordinarily:

• put out your best china (if you have it), light some candles...
  
• eat Anrea Zittel style: use only bowls (no plates)
  
• eat everything with your fingers
  
• use chopsticks instead of silverware
  -you get the idea

8. Listening Meditation

Be still. Be silent. Listen to every sound around you for 5 minutes. Try to write down each of the sounds, describing exactly what you heard.

You can do this in your living room, a meadow, a park, in the middle of a mall, a bookstore, coffee shop - wherever you feel drawn. Take your journal or sketchbook, find a comfortable, out of the way, place to sit and begin listening. If it helps, close your eyes. Do not focus on one particular conversation or sound, but allow your attention to float to all of the sounds around you.

After several (or 5) minutes, begin to write about the experience. Try to recall how certain sounds made you feel. Did anything strike your funny bone? Did you hear different conversations juxtaposing? were any of the sounds jarring? soothing? etc.

2. Be a Thing Finder

Collect objects that you find on your walk, bring them home:

• Draw them
  
• Collage them into your journal
  
• write about them:
  
  • how did you found the "thing"?
    
  • What is the secret life of the thing found - where did it come from, how did it end up there...
  
  
• set up a mini-museum in which to display your best weekly finds [change it each week]
  
• Write descriptive tags for them & display them in your house somewhere
  
• Write descriptive or story tags for them, and leave them somewhere for someone else to find