Creative Writing in the Wild
Image by @charlesdeluvio on Unsplash
I would like to start off by thanking Ash Ambirge, author of The Middle Finger Project and creative writing boss, for the term “Creative Writing in the Wild.” Ash writes the most informative and hilarious emails about all things entrepreneurship and writing (you can subscribe to her email list here).
Now, onward.
Writing has always entered my eyeballs and darted right to my heart, either by making me snort out my morning coffee, inspiring me to take action or a take on a new perspective, or dare I say it, even well up.
But writing doesn’t have to be produced by a professional throwing crumpled pages over her shoulder and stewing over a “piece” deep into the night in order to have a powerful effect.
It can be furiously typed into a text chain with the use of one very focused thumb or scribbled on a post-it note left on one’s office door (Do not knock unless it is an emergency. I have no self control and will talk to you for hours, neglect my work, eventually go bald with the stress of trying constantly to catch up, and lose the respect of my boss and my family).
You get it.
My recent experience with creative writing in the wild landed in my inbox one Saturday morning as I scrolled on my phone in a hotel in Sedona, AZ, trying not-that-hard to not wake my boyfriend with my giggling before the sun had even come up.
The email I read and reread while laughing silently to myself was simply too good not to share, so please enjoy*:
*redacted in [places] so you do not learn the secret identities of my stepparents, as they are registered superheroes and the news coverage would be overwhelming and frankly, would not be good for their response times in the fighting of crimes.
Date: October 7, 2023
Time: 6:27 AM, MST
Subject Line: Exciting Opportunity!!!!!
Sender: Hilarious Stepdad
Recipients: Adult Children
Hi family!!!!!
We have an exciting opportunity for all/some/one of you if anyone is interested!!!
[Stepmom] and I are trying to go away from [date - date] to [super cool beach] for our birthdays.
We would like to offer all/some/one of you an all expense, all inclusive trip to [place] to babysit [littlest sister] for those days. We will pay for everything and even pay a stipend for childcare services for this once in a lifetime opportunity to spend some quality 1:1 time with [sister].
Working remotely is perfectly fine and offers a unique opportunity to enjoy some time with [sister] and enjoy our newly renovated guest suites/office, patio and deck with lounge furniture and fireplace, renovated sunroom and of course your own 8 person hot tub!!!!
In addition, the company that you will be with is amazing as [not-so-little-afterall sister] is so grown up now, that she got up on her own this morning and got dressed and ready for the day before [stepmom] and I knew it.
Additionally there is complimentary ancillary and support staff available nearby (grandpa) and multiple others within the beautiful town of [town]!
Don't let this amazing opportunity pass you by!!!!
Needless to say, I was instantly captivated by such an opportunity, presented with unexpected hilarity, that I jumped at it so as to not miss out on such a fabulous AirBnb Experience.
I replied as fast as my thumbs could type:
Date: October 7, 2023
Time: 6:37 AM, MST
Subject Line: RE: Exciting Opportunity!!!!!
Sender: Hilarious Eldest Daughter
Recipients: Adult Children, Stepparents
Good morning, gracious hosts!!
I would like to throw my hat in the ring to be chosen for this once in in a lifetime trip!
I am quite responsible, particularly with three decades of experience at being alive.
I am an early riser and very good at crafts to keep young ones busy and to offer parents the opportunity to come home to beautiful fridge decor!
I also am pursuing a remote position as my next job, so could flex my dates to be there even before and after travel to assist with the busying of the [littlest sister] to allow the growns to pack/ unpack.
I also enjoy wildlife watching from the comfort of a couch and would never pass up this opportunity to see real live backyard turkeys and maybe even a fox.
Please pick me for this trip to participate in Camp [sister] 2024!!!
Can provide references upon request. I do not require additional compensation other than eating your food.
Sincerely,
The biggest sister
Are you reading this with your chin on the floor and a laugh just begging to be unleashed too??
Writing gets me. It gets me when I know it’s coming, like when I’m reading any of the endless books on my nightstand from comedy writers and memoirists I adore, and it gets me even more when it arrives in my life unexpected.
You bet your butt I will be making a spreadsheet and maybe even ordering T-shirts for my Camp Counselor Sister Week in the spring. There will probably be water coloring and playing in the mud and a scraped knee or two as we learn how to run (me).
There will definitely be memories made, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
Yours still grinning,
Emily Rose // Miss Magnolia
Want to work your creative brain and log some self care at the same time? Check out the downloadable Self Care Activity Pack and get your word search on, color in front of your favorite TV show, and write a letter to your past and future self.
