Greetings, candy connoisseurs! Last week, we indulged in the sweet surrender of hard candy, exploring its creative potential through sensory experiments and artistic endeavors. How did it feel to embody the spirit of Willy Wonka? Did you create a candy mosaic, compose a sugary soundscape, or perhaps discover the triboluminescent magic of Wint-O-Green Life Savers? Even if your most daring and creative moment was eating a lint-dusted Altoids from a coat in your "going to Goodwill" pile, I hope something about last week made you smile.
This week, we're shifting our focus to a more fluid and reflective subject: a puddle. Puddles tell us it's rained or that we have a leaky pipe. By just being themselves, they can ruin an outfit. Want to tell a movie audience that your protagonist is in trouble? Just have them step in a puddle; the deeper, the better!
Puddles reflect the world in distorted, ephemeral ways. Their literal from the ground up perspective invites us to pause, toobserve the world from a different angle, and when we are lucky, find beauty. A simple puddle at night can transform a concrete urbanscape into a canvas of light and shadow, a playground for our imaginations.
When my daughter wants to run outside barefoot in the rain to splash around, I understand why! There's a joy to be found splashing around with carefree abandon. And a peace found in quiet contemplation as clouds drift across a puddle's surface, a miniature world reflecting the vastness above.
Grab your boots; go barefoot if you dare; it's time to dive into puddles, metaphorically, for several minutes of creative distraction with these creative exercises:
Puddle Finish: Capture the reflections and distortions within puddles through photography. Experiment with different angles, lighting, and perspectives to create abstract images. Put it all on the line for your art - place your phone in a waterproof bag, drop it into a puddle, and snap a selfie.
Puddleology: Conduct various tests of a quasi-scientific nature. How did this puddle get here…old sidewalk…broken sprinkler…spilled beverage? How many cups of water are in your puddle? Only one way to find out!
Puddle Places: Record ambient sounds of a puddle. Things like dripping rain or rustling leaves, the distant sounds of traffic, or even the splashing of passing footsteps. Use these recordings to create an environmental soundscape that captures the atmosphere of the puddle's location.
Puddle LARP: Embrace your inner child and jump in a puddle! Experience the tactile sensation of splashing water and the joy of carefree play. 1000 extra points if you do this within view of major intersections or school drop-off times.
Ponder Puddle: Use the concept of a puddle as a metaphor for self-reflection. Write a journal entry or create a piece of art that explores your own reflections on life, relationships, or personal growth.
Puddles, those temporary pools following a rain shower, are just what we need to recharge our creative groundwaters. With them we can create opportunities for play, reflection, and creative exploration. They are a reminder of the ever-changing nature of the world around us, and a symbol of the fleeting moments of beauty that come and go out of our lives every day.
This column was written with the help of Google's Gemini Advanced, a powerful generative AI writing tool.
