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Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Unlocking the Monster

Stories are small vignettes that start in the spaces of my mind and are brought to life with evocative words and images. Stories become my key to unlocking the soul and inner ideas, releasing words into the universe of thought. Writing journals (digital or non-digital) are sacred spaces where fears let go and thoughts rise. Laura Shovan's 11th Annual February Poetry Project has been an outlet for me to address storytelling in poetic ways. 

Day 27 of the challenge presented a unique way to introduce the monsters within that plague the soul. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Monster was the subject raised by Tabatha Yeatts. As a child, I was fearful of monsters but Shelley's creature seemed misunderstood and alone. Many times, humans feel the same. Chaos existing in the world estranges people. Kindness and empathy are lost in the mix. Loneliness leads to increased horror. The monster within finds shape. These thoughts sparked an idea to review the fictional Frankenstein monster in a different way. I first digitized a picture of an outstretched monster found on the Internet. He seemed bound by a world of chaos and internal strife. What I created is a brief glimpse into an unfinished tale.

Have you ever felt bottled up?
Perhaps, the answer is 
to seek peace in life's moments.
Make the ordinary extraordinary.
Just Be.
Settle in.
Search the soul.
Open your heart to gladness.
©CVarsalona, 2023, quick write

Today is the last day of Laura's project and tomorrow starts the first day of Two Writing Teachers' 16th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge of writing daily during the month. I am ready to search my soul and expand the stories within. Join me.



8 comments:

  1. Carol, have often thought of Dr Frankenstein's creation as someone who is misunderstood. He was not created as a monster but turned into one by the people and circumstances that surrounded him. I think that if we all thought about how our reactions to and treatment of others affected them, we might be a little better treat others with a little more respect.

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    1. I agree with you, Bob. I think the Hunchback was also misunderstood and the artists in Barnum's Circus. Perhaps, humanity finds it difficult to deal with people who are disabled, disfigured, different. I think we have come a long way but that is my perspective from the educational world.

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  2. Searching the soul and opening our hearts to gladness - - oh my! What a beautiful invitation for this day. I love this: Stories become my key to unlocking the soul and inner ideas, releasing words into the universe of thought. The journaling and poetry you are sharing is a perfect topic for March, too. I hope to see much, much more on this.

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  3. I think my favorite words are "settle in" followed by search and open. As always, you've provided lovely words to ponder.

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  4. How creative! I love the writing task and what you did with it. Great title, and I liked the look of the italicized and capitalized "Be".

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  5. I really appreciate your graphics you created, and your thoughtful ideas of what makes a monster, and what might soothe a monster (or the monster within.)

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  6. Carol, your thoughts on monsters within all of us, the lack of empathy and kindness, as you said, sometimes create monsters for the world to hate. You post is thought-provoking and interesting. Your second poem brings peace just reading it, especially "Just Be. Settle In." Love that.

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  7. So many monsters made by misunderstanding. Sad. What a difference an open heart makes. Such a thought- provoking piece!

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