SciFi Daily Prompt 1

This month, I’m participating in Camp NaNoWriMo. My goal? I have never written science fiction, but would like to because anything can happen! I think it’s really fun and the type I will be writing is silly and non-sensical…likely with made up science and technology because I’ve never understood that stuff very well. I am aiming to write 500 first thought words each day in the morning to put my own writing projects first and get all the creative juices flowing. I’ll be using my Science Fiction Prompts resource I created for my clients and students.

I’ll practice free writing so I will not be editing afterward or during. The only things I might change are if there are obvious spelling errors as I’m going along. Otherwise, this is purely straight from my wild mind and onto the page…eek!

Feel free to join me or follow along.

Day 1 Prompt: When the otter’s tail clicked into place with fine-tuned mechanical precision, I knew there was an issue.

Photo by **David Selbert** from **Pexels**

Daily Goal: 500
Word Count: 940

When the otter’s tail clicked into place with fine-tuned mechanical precision, I knew there was an issue.
I had seen an inappropriately large amount of otters since I had moved into the area, but I thought it was simply because of the widely wooded area with swampy rivers. They need trees to build their dams and they need water to dam, right? That’s what I thought, at least. I had been minding my own business on a Monday morning, whistling my way to work, you know how it is. And I got to seeing that these otters then seemed on their way to work, too, which I thought was cute at first. I hadn’t had my coffee, you know? And then, I watched as they started to simultaneously thump their tails in time with each other. I saw that each thump of their tails seemed to call more and more woodland creatures and wildlife to the river, but now I don’t think that these were the creatures they appeared to be. I think that they are, well, I think that they are robots. I don’t know who to talk to and I am afraid that they are recording my cell phone, so I don’t feel like it’s safe to call anyone or text anyone about this. It feels like they are watching me all the time now. It’s been five days so far and it’s really creepy. So, that’s why I am keeping this journal. I’m glad I kept my dad’s NASA pen, I never knew where he got it from, but it helps to be able to write wherever and on whatever I can. The idea is that if something happens to me that at least there will be a record. Although I don’t know if it’d ever be found, at least I can write underwater. Come to think of it, I probably could write underwater since these otters can’t really live in water since they appear to be robots. Well, now that I think about it, I see that I’ve gotten rather confused and carried away with my words. These aren’t otters, these are beavers. Well, robot beavers. I know otters will hold hands with each other while they are in a group and that’s really sweet, which is what I thought I saw these otters, I mean beavers, doing. But, I wonder if there is some sort of network where they have to make a physical connection to be able to do something to upload data. So, I watched them from my walk to work at the local gas station. And then I saw how they slapped their tails, their giant leathery paddles of tails, but then one of them started to twitch after slapping some mud. I had discovered they were building dams on the sides of the roads after a couple days. I thought it was odd, but you know, I’ve never been an animal person. I think this might be better if I talk into a battery operated, portable, old-fashioned tape recorder things like I had when I was little, so I’ll switch to that when I get a chance to find it. It’s probably in an old bag in the cedar closet. Well, you see, I saw one of the beaver tails get all twitchy and off to the side, like it got all out of joint location. Then, after it did a buzzing of shivering motions, it’s tail just clicked back into place and then, my own body starting those buzzing, shivering motions, but I’m no robot, I was terrified. I tried to like, avert my eyes as soon as I’d seen it. Because then it turned toward me where I’d been in the gas station window and it fixed its beady little red eyes onto me and I turned away and began rearranging the cigarettes above the registers. Luckily, so I was told, there’d been an issue with shoplifting, so we had mirrors that faced outside as well as inside so no matter where I stand in the little cashier area at the gas station, I can see pretty much anywhere. So, I watched this little guy, after his clunky, thumpy tail clicked into place and he seemed to go back to normal. But, for me, watching him do that with his tail, or her tail, I guess, I can’t tell the difference between a man and lady beaver, but are they even beavers anyway? Robot beavers? It looks so stupid even to write it. But, I know what I saw. Well, I know that I saw something ridiculous, too ridiculous that it had to be true. Too ridiculous. I wanted to tell a couple of my buddies from the club, but now I’m not sure who I can trust. I’m just keeping my eyes peeled and I’m laying low to see what else I notice over the next few days. I’ll try my best to keep a record of what I see and learn. But, if it’s not safe for me to write something down, I won’t. I might try an old-fashioned voice recorder like I said, butttttt……oh no. Oh, no. I can see there are more of them. And what is that? What is that glinting in the sky? All of the beavers have stood up on their hind legs and are walking toward me. They are all walking, waddling in unison. They are moving toward the gas station. I have to act natural. I’ll just be putting my notebook in my inner pocket of my shirt. So, this is not how I thought today would go, I…

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Happy Writing! Molly x

How Your Senses Can Unlock Creativity

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Using our five senses is often something that we can take for granted. It isn’t until we have to go without one of them that we notice how crucial they actually are to us. Maybe you’ve had a sinus infection that caused you to lose your sense of smell or your burned your tongue so you couldn’t taste anything. Perhaps you had surgery that required the doctors to numb part of your body–or, you sat in a funny position that meant you lost feeling in your foot. Have you ever had water stay in your ear after swimming so your hearing became distorted? Or, maybe you or someone close to you has limited vision, is legally blind or color blind. When we lose a sense, the rest of our senses become heightened to compensate for the loss.

When we notice that our lives are stuck or un-inspired or we feel bored, engaging with our senses, like, actually noticing them by doing things to be present in ourselves in the present moment, we can often unlock creativity.

Smell: Our sense of smell can trigger memories. While we take time to inhale a pleasing aroma or foul odor, something is activated in our brains which make a connection to something that happened and often where it happened. Being present to “stop and smell the roses” can actually increase your overall awareness as well as connect your mind and body to the here and now. You have the opportunity for gratitude (if it is a pleasant smell) or the opportunity to decide whether your thoughts will be positive or negative (if the smell is rotten). This could mean you fill your life with fragrances that prompt your imagination so you think of certain people or places.

2. Taste: Did your grandmother make you special cookies for your birthday? Did you have a favorite meal from growing up? Similar to the sense of smell, taste can draw up feelings of nostalgia. Maybe you have travelled to a country or culture that is different from your own and you discovered a combination of flavors that inspired you. Maybe you need to go on a culinary adventure to change up your eating experience. When we become aware of what we are eating, noticing the sweet, salty, umami, bitter, spicy or sour sensations on our tongue and how the different tastes interact in the food we eat, something creative can unlock in us. You might begin to notice new flavor combinations which you hadn’t before. This could mean you try new recipes and begin a journey of exploration in the kitchen.

3. Touch: Often our sense of touch can be a passive one that tends to alert us to danger. When something is too hot, we know from experience to stay away. When something is too cold, we might get goosebumps. If something is too rough or sharp, we might be alerted to take caution, too, because it might cut our skin. I would like to have the sense of touch be more interesting than cautionary and preventative only. Plush blankets can feel cozy in the winter or cold glassware on a hot summer day can be refreshing. Feeling the contrasting textures that surround us might actually alert our senses simply to be aware of our surroundings instead of being passive until danger is at foot.

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4. Sound: Close your eyes and listen to what is happening all around you. Listening, actually hearing and taking in the frequency of vibrations can be powerful. Some music performed in an opera with a full orchestra can move its audience of listeners to tears because of the power of the sense of hearing. Being quiet, still, in silence, can sometimes be disconcerting. Many of us in this modern era can jam our sense of sound because we are afraid to let our minds wander or come aware around us. But, when we really listen, we can hear the hum of a kitchen appliance, the chirp of a distant bird, our own breathing. “If a tree falls in the forest, but nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” I think it does! Hearing is taking in the frequency of sound waves while listening in engaging our minds with what we hear and stay in the present. This means we can actually notice things that intrigue us that we might have missed in the past.

5. See: The human eye can perceive the color green with the most varieties in shade. This is why military developers of technology made night vision in green. Sight is a sense that nearly everyone engages with and perhaps, takes for granted most days. The sense of sight allows us to notice beauty in color, shape, form, line, texture, value and space: these are the seven elements of art and design. Our eyes also allow us to perceive the time of day based on daylight, finding a way to walk or drive, notice minute facial expressions on the people around us. So much of the sense of sight is for the “doing business” of mundane life to keep us safe, yet I wonder what might happen if we let go of getting things done and instead really looked closely at what is in front of us. We might grow to appreciate subtle details of beauty with our eyes that we have missed in the past.

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How Affirmations Can Inspire Your Creativity

My Story.

“It’s not your turn.”

In kindergarten, it was free choice time–we could choose to do anything we wanted, so I went over to the easel and made one big vertical blue streak. Then, my teacher came over with another child, who had an apron on, and told me that it wasn’t my turn to paint. That I hadn’t asked permission to paint, but this other child had asked permission. I was confused–it was free choice time and we could choose to do anything we wanted to do, but…somehow I chose wrong? The teacher ripped my page, with its one blue streak, off the easel and set it on the floor by the window. I had to find something else to do.

For so many years, part of me has remained this five year old who was told that I’d made the wrong choice when I chose to paint. I have had to learn to rewrite this memory so it has less of a negative impact as it likes to play on repeat and persuade me to give in to fear.

It is always my turn to paint.

Application for Us

Once I found out that I had been subconsciously holding onto this lie that it wasn’t my turn and that I had chosen wrongly, I was able to make a change. I had no idea why I was resistant to spending time making art or why it felt like forbidden fruit to be created in secret when I had the opportunity to rebel. Now that I know, I can remind and affirm myself that:

1. It is always my turn to paint.
2. When I paint, I’ve made a great decision.
3. It is a good use of my time to paint.
4. My art is worthy of hanging on walls to be appreciated.
5. I am a grown up and I have given myself indefinite permission to paint.

By working with affirmations, I am able to grow and be more creative.

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I often find it helpful to journal in writing questions and answers as a way to process what I’m thinking or feeling about a situation. Especially, when it’s something like this, from my forgotten past. If writing seems like it’d be helpful for you, I want to invite you to take time over the next week or so to reflect on these questions and how you might answer them.

When is a time that you felt like you were doing the wrong thing (when morals were actually not in question)? What was the situation? How old were you? Who was with you?
What meaning did you assign to that experience? What have you told yourself since then?
Ask God what might have been the result of feeling like you were wrong? What have you been prevented from doing?
Imagine the best version of yourself: How would you love to spend your days? What type of person would you love to be?
What might life look like if you started to give yourself permission for these things?
Who might you be able to talk to about taking these new steps?
What is the negative belief, meaning, lie that you’ve been telling yourself? How could you change it around to be a positive affirmation?

What have you learned from working with affirmations?

What questions do you have around this process of turning a negative thought into a positive one?

Leave a comment below.

How to Make Freewriting Work for You

What is freewriting? Freewriting is a tool that writers often use to kickstart creative thought. It’s like doing leg swings or dynamic stretching warmups before heading out on a long run. It’s like practicing tongue twisters before a big speech or theatre performance.

Freewriting is just that: free and writing. It is all about conquering the fears of the blank page by simply getting words, whether they are weak or powerful, down on the page. Sometimes we can feel stuck in our creativity, like we’re in a slimy mud pit, void of creativity. Often we can worry that we do not have anything valuable to say, so we wait until we feel like what we have to say is “good enough.” Sadly, this leaves so many profound and thoughtful ideas left unwritten, unshared, uninspired.

Photo by **Tirachard Kumtanom** from **Pexels**

When you feel blocked as a writer, or even on any project whether you’re a civil engineer building bridges, or a great neighbour building relational bridges, the act of writing one word after the next to get something out can release the floodgates and at the very least, bring inspiration when you have words out that you have something to work with.

What are you listening to? This is a question that goes beyond the surface. Many of us have negative voices from our past that told us we couldn’t do this or we’d never accomplish that, or this creative endeavour is a waste of time because you can’t make that much money doing it. Or, maybe you listen to your own limiting beliefs and tell yourself a story that’s just as unhelpful.

When we write, there can be a fight that we wrestle through each time, or we can simply get something out. We can acknowledge our Inner Critic or Inner Editor who says it’s not perfect yet and let it know you hear it and acknowledge that its ideas are valid. But, right now is time for first thoughts and fresh, crazy ideas to come out to play from your five-year-old self and that, in a little while, after the playing, then the Critic and Editor can come and hone and craft the playful words into something polished.

So, open up a new word document or grab a pen and notebook, set the timer for ten minutes and simply write. Keep your pen flowing, your keyboard clicking and let whatever words present themselves come out as rubbish or bizarre as they might be. Know that you can trust your instinct with words to play for ten minutes, knowing that afterward, your editor can edit.

Happy Writing!

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What are your most common barriers when it comes to sitting down to write?

Leave me a comment. 🙂

Should you write, paint, or teach? Why I’m doing it all!

Who am I?

I am Molly Ovenden, a writer, visual artist, educator, and creative coach thought partner, based in northern Minnesota. Creativity has always been a part of my life, but after moving to England in 2010, I felt compelled to take creativity more seriously.

After seven British years, I returned to Minnesota in 2017 with a bearded Englishman carpenter for a husband, dual citizenship in the U.S.A. and the UK, and a renewed confidence in my identity in Christ as a daughter of the King of kings who is deeply loved by my Heavenly Father, and as a writer and artist who has valuable words and beauty to share with the world. I have continued to pursue a creative life, which, as of January 2021, has become a creative career.

Molly proudly posing in from of the feature wall of her exhibition
at the Johnson Heritage Post Gallery in Grand Marais, Minnesota in December 2019.

What inspires me?

Beauty in Nature

I’m fascinated by color, line, and light, and my paintings are often an exploration of how these elements all interact with each other. I love the freedom of experimentation since I cannot be in control of what actually occurs. I work mainly with acrylic paint, watercolor and felt tip pen and I am learning to experiment with an even wider range of materials, such as coffee (yup, you read that right–it’s not just for drinking in this gal’s studio!), and various recycled materials for collage and mixed media pieces.

Sharing Stories: yours & mine

As a writer, I also value telling stories. Not only am I intentional about how I title each painting, I love to write stories, fiction and true. Capturing what I learn from God through everyday life, I tell stories through devotionals and personal essays. The concept of how humans simultaneously live their own vibrantly intense lives intrigues me, too, so that idea is the source of my current novel and short story projects.

My Students

I teach online community education classes on creativity, writing, and art. My students are a constant source of inspiration. Their questions and enthusiasm propel me into consistent creativity, learning from them as well as being challenged by their different ways of thinking.

Why start a blog?

I am learning to love sharing my own story! As a five on the enneagram (a personality , I’ve lived in unhealthy mindsets of being overly private and hoarding the information, experience, ideas I have. Often I’ve lived in fear and scarcity–although I can live like it’s the reality, it doesn’t have to be my reality (or yours!) and I’ve realized that the more I share of myself, my creativity, what I’m learning, the more I experience abundance and overcome fear.

What will I write about?

What I’m learning:
- as an artist through exhibiting and sharing my artwork in exhibitions, cafes, galleries, and online.
- as a writer, and tips, ideas, inspiration for your own writing life.
- in my spiritual life from God and from others around me.
What books I am reading, how I’m growing, developing, and healing as a lifelong learner.
What I’m writing, drawing, painting, and otherwise creating and where you can find it.
How I make creativity a habit, how I grow as a creative person, and ideas of how you can stay in creative growth, too.
What I’m doing for self-care, from healthy eating to marathon training to sleeping well.

Why do I want to write a blog?

I’m a writer! I want a platform to share my writing journey. I’ve learned so much from hearing about other people’s processes and I want to give back in hopes of helping someone who’s where I have been.

I want to share to encourage you toward personal growth.
I want to inspire you to try new things and to live a creative life.
I want to overcome my own fears and maybe, help you do the same as I share my transformation story and process.
I want to create with regularity and consistency to stay accountable by sharing what I’m working on with you.
Ultimately, I want to tell my story to bring freedom and hope to you in the midst of living your own story.

I’m thrilled you’re on this journey with me. Leave a comment below and let me know what you’d like help with: What keeps you from pursuing creativity in your life?

5 Questions I Ask Myself to Stay Creative

Hello! I’m Molly! I’m excited–always–to help people express more creativity in their lives.

Making Creativity a Habit

It is just that: a habit. A habit is something that we regularly do whether we think about it or not. It can be something good (e.g.: 30 minutes of daily exercise) or something that we’d like to change (e.g.: biting my nails). “Creative” is something that we’re born to be. When we make creativity a habit, we become more settled into being ourselves. I have lots of habits I’d like to change, but in a time of self-reflection, I discovered these five questions are helpful to keep me moving toward healthy habits and positive life changes. These questions were so helpful for me, that I started to share them with my friends and family. Now, I’d like to share them with you!

5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Stay Creative

Who is in your life?

Who encourages you? Who do you go to for help? Who are you trying to please? Who do you avoid at all costs? Who sucks the life out of you? Noticing the people whom you surround yourself with will help you recognize who you want closeby and who you might not need as close to you anymore. Now, I’m not necessarily talking about cutting people out of your life. In most cases, there are ways to stay engaged in a relationship, but not investing as much energy in it as you might have in the past. People who challenge you today to become who you want to be, people who help you be who you believe you’re meant to be are great to keep around.

Who has been in your life in the past? Good or bad, do you want the memory of them to carry the weight of authority in your life? From personal experience there are two particular people in my life who have passed away, but still are a significant part of my life. I have one person that was harmful and I’ve had to heal and overcome lots of harsh realities from that relationship. I don’t want to give weight and authority to that person anymore. On the other hand, I have a second person that was tremendously beneficial and empowering to me at a crucial time in my life. I want this person’s words, presence, and encouragement to stick with me as it can.

What are you listening to?

What goes into our physical ears and into our figurative heart has a deep impact on creativity. Do you listen to the same people in podcasts or radio stations? Do you listen to the same genre of music every day? Perhaps trying to listen to something or someone new could be the mini-jolt you need to propel you into more creativity. Does what you hear build you up or discourage you? Are you listening to voices from your past that cut down your dreams? Or are you listening to voices from your past that spur you on? Do you have a destructive train of thought that you hop on to be distracted or do you intentionally choose to listen to affirming voices?

What are you reading?

Reading is a habit that encourages creativity. Learning via reading non-fiction or learning via reading fiction, we can see the world from a different point of view. Examining our reading habits and how we fill our mind is crucial to safely harbor creativity. I make it a habit to regularly be reading a few different types of books at any given time. If I find myself stuck in one genre, I ask for recommendations or simply pick up a random book from the library, bookstore, or friend’s bookshelf.

Poetry teaches me about writing and communicating succinctly.
Fiction novels and short stories introduce me to characters that often think about the world differently from me and it can be a release of fun getting to travel around the world, space, and through time from the comfort of my own yellow, winged-back IKEA chair. I learn how to create stunning setting, believable characters, and how to develop a story arc that make sense and is entertaining.
Life stories, biographies, or memoirs are fascinating to learn about history and to get to know “famous people” when I’d never be likely to meet them. It’s an inside look at someone else’s point of view. It feels like a privilege to be invited in.
Books that challenge my faith and beliefs. The challenge happens either because they are living in a compelling way or their experiences are vastly different from mine. I don’t want to be stuck in my own worldview.
Non-fiction entrepreneur, business, mindset, creativity, wellness books of many varieties–even travel stories–which keep my head in the game of being and becoming more of who I want to be and believe I’m meant to be.

4. What are you eating?

Garbage in, garbage out. When I eat junk, which I love to eat so many snacks and “fun” foods, I often don’t feel good. I feel a bit sludgey and grumpy and not creative at all, but on the worst days of junk food eating, I feel sad and unmotivated. When I eat primarily fruits and vegetables and other foods that I know aren’t junk, I’m lively, spritely, and full of creative energy. I’m excited and inspired to create and I feel happy to take action.

5. What are you creating?

Asking myself what am I creating is an intentional present continuous verb. What am I physically, actually, tangibly making right here, right now? I can easily get stuck in my thoughts and action never leaves my imagination. This can be disappointing and unmotivating. It can also reinvigorate my fears, fueling the fires of disappointment and stagnant living. I believe we humans are made in the image of a creator God, so we are all creative. Whether you build physical bridges because you’re a civil engineer, or you build relational bridges because you’re a good neighbor, everything in between takes creative effort. When we are creative, we are more like the selves we’re meant to be. When we are not creating, then we are not living life as truest self.

Try asking yourself these questions and see what happens. #creativityisahabit

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