Ahoy there, shell enthusiasts! Last week, we embarked on a creative passage inspired by the captivating forms and textures of shells. These wonderful finds are made by mollusks. Did you enjoy spinning creativity in a half-shell? Was your home filled with the soundscape of shell sounds? Perhaps there are a couple of dolls in your house that now have right-sized outfits fashioned from the motivations of a long-gone mollusk! Whatever brought you to this creative shoreline, I hope you enjoyed this moment of wiggling your toes in the sand.
This week's thing we'll use to hold our attention for several minutes of creative contemplation is what visitors to the Inland Empire this time of year are trying to escape back home: snow! If you're satisfied by the simulation of snow, I highly recommend a visit to downtown Riverside's "Festival of Lights," where thousands of twinkling symbols of snowflakes help illuminate our downtown through New Year's.
Snow is formed by weather patterns operating beyond the full understanding of knowledgeable meteorologists and predictive analytics. Like our creative moments, snow can fall in unexpected places, and we have only a little control over how long it will last.
I've heard the advertising and I know we're only 45 minutes away from the snows of Big Bear, but no need to add miles to your creative commute. I found of crystallized water in my freezer – and scraped off a few chunks to try on a few of these creative distractions.
Maybe you're a sentimental type who's kept a few snowballs from your kid's first snowball fight (way more sanitary and interesting than your kid's first baby lost baby tooth. If so, it's time to break them out. Find one of the cool places around your hot spot and take a toboggan ride of creative silliness with one or more of these chilly challenges:
Flake Photos: If you're lucky enough to experience snowfall, capture the delicate beauty of snowflakes through photography. Use a macro lens or zoom in close to capture their details and patterns. Experiment with different lighting and backgrounds.
Snowflake Unmake: Capture the mesmerizing process of ice melting by creating a time-lapse video. Place a snowflake on a dark surface and film it as it slowly melts, documenting its transformation from a delicate crystal to a shimmering droplet as the snowflake surrenders to the warmth.
Snowflake Simulacrum: Create your own snowflake art using paper, scissors, and a bit of imagination. Fold and cut paper to create intricate snowflake designs and decorate with glitter, paint, or other embellishments.
Snow Daze: Reflect. Perhaps recall the joy of building snowmen, the thrill of sledding, or the peaceful serenity of watching snowflakes fall from a warm vantage point. Capture these memories in writing, poetry, or even a visual art piece.
Snowflakes, with their delicate forms and fleeting existence, teach us to appreciate the present moment and find joy in the ephemeral beauty of the natural world. I can't help but recall winter treks to nearby Idyllwild and the epic snowball fights I used to have with my sons. The crisp air, the crunch of snow underfoot, and the laughter echoing through the trees – those were moments when magic entered my life. Of course, my favorite part was retreating to the warmth of the cabin afterward, sipping hot cocoa and watching the snowflakes fall gently to refill our footprints.
The next time you encounter a winter wonderland, whether it's a real flurry or a shimmering imitation at a Holiday celebration, take a moment to appreciate its temporary beauty, its unique story, and the creative heat it can generate. Like the snowflake, we, too, can embrace our individuality, find beauty in impermanence, and leave our own unique mark on the world.
This column was written with the help of Google's Gemini Advanced, a powerful generative AI writing tool.
