It might not be the most obvious combination of characters, but Goldilocks and Madonna are both all about finding their ‘groove’… and here's how that relates to ‘Wonder’!
March's creative thinking theme:
THE ELEMENTS OF WONDER
Element 3 - WHITTLE (absorption)
Mmmm… can you smell the wood? That’s what I think of when I hear the word ‘whittle’ - to carve small bits out of wood, and I ADORE the smell of a wood-working workshop! Perhaps I should’ve been a carpenter!
To whittle, in the sense of wondering, refers to a pairing down of our thoughts from broad to focused. This is described by Parker in ‘The Power of Wonder’ in two terms:
‘Absorption’ and ‘Flow’
To be absorbed in something is a feeling I’m sure we all recognise - lost in our thoughts or in an activity we’re doing. When that absorption turns into a complete focus - an overtaking of our mind (and body often) - then we are in flow.
‘Effortless attention’ is a great way to think of this element of wonder. We are not doing nothing, but the something we’re doing is not too hard a task that it takes strenuous concentration. “Hard but not too hard” is the crucial factor. It’s the Goldilocks Principle isn’t it?!
So after ‘watching’ and ‘wandering’ we go into ‘whittling’ - where wondering becomes a little bit more focused, and we learn how it feels to be in flow.
Creative Thinking Prompt (w/c 18 March 2024)
So this week,I’d like you to be Goldilocks!
Try and find some activities which are perfect for your Goldilocks persona to come out. What can you do which will allow you to start wondering and creatively thinking about something in your mind - a problem that needs a solution, a new idea you need for your business, or a way to help your kids with something - while also keeping your mind slightly occupied with whatever you’re doing.
These are the times, I find, when I am at my most creative!
Some suggestions:
In the shower
Washing up
Brushing your kid’s hair (or your dog - something I need to do more often😬!)
Bathing your kids
Stirring the pasta for tea (other meals can also apply!)
Driving (although obviously keep your awareness on the road - maybe ‘when in traffic’ would be better)
Gardening
Crafting (if it requires little concentration)
Doodling
Washing the car (another thing I need to do more often🤦♀️!)
Cleaning (I’m not even going there!😩 😬)
Anything else you can think of?
So I’ll leave you this week with the immortal words of Madonna and encourage you wholeheartedly to …….
“Get into the groove”
Madonna
Find your flow while doing mundane tasks, and whittle that wondering down!
How will this month's prompts impact your creativity?
Wonder is the precursor to creativity. It is magical yet equally scientific. It's what everyone in history has done in order to advance in the world, invent new things, innovative concepts, and world-changing revelations. By breaking wonder down into its elements, we are able to really see how to be more wondrous in our daily lives - which elements we find easy and which we perhaps struggle with. It will be an enlightening month of creative thinking, wondering about our wondering, and seeing how this helps with our work, our parenting, and our own creativity and wellbeing.
P.S. We can obviously be also be in flow when we're doing something which we absolutely LOVE, which feels easy simply because it's our favourite thing to do. So by all means go and do what you love this week and enjoy the total absorption and that feeling of flow! xx
P.P.S Don't forget this great definition of wonder:
“Wonder makes us more creative and more desirous of studying the world around us. It makes us humble, less materialistic, more generous, and better community members… Wonder makes us less stressed and feel like we have more time… Wonder quite simply makes us want to be better, more tolerant people.” (Parker, 2023)
📸: I'd love to say this is me, dressed as Madonna and taken by the fab Karen Staniland-Platt , but alas, I got it from Google… 🤣
