News from Make-Believe Press: # 4 Unplugged Musings

We loaded tent, sleeping bags, mess kit, and other assorted gear and off we went. We found our reserved site, parked and began to unload. There was an initial whirlwind of unpacking and assembling our campsite. Then firewood was gathered and ignited. We then busied ourselves with the upkeep of the fire and the preparation of dinner.

Once we were set up completely and our food was on the grill there was nothing to do but sit and wait for it to finish cooking. I settled down into my chair and watched the flickering glow of the fire and exhaled a tired breath. As I allowed myself to sink deeper into my seat with my exhale I had a quiet thought about how nice it felt in that moment.

There were no phone calls. No alerts. No scrolling through news feeds. There was just the sounds of the forest, the cracking fire, and faint murmurations from campers at other campsites.

There were many moments where we had to tend to the fire or chase something down the wind had blown away or care for some other camp necessities. This wasn't the “rest and do nothing” trip I thought I wanted, but it turned out to be the trip I needed.

Stepping outside my routine was challenging and exhausting. It was tiring but also energizing. I was reminded of the importance of unplugging and stepping out of routine. Just the act of being somewhere new and focusing on new challenges can invigorate us and revive our creativity. When was the last time you stepped out of routine, adventurer?

The video was made by TheSilentWatcher on YouTube. If you can't get out for a forest walk or the weather is a little too gloomy for the birds to sing, put on this video, close your eyes, and let the sounds take you there.

Your CREATIVE MISSION, if you choose to accept, is to write or sketch a short piece that is inspired by this image (Bonus Points if you listen to the nature sounds from the above video while doing it):

Approach it like a child approaches play. No one has to see it. Create with freedom. I believe in you adventurer!

Take a breath and listen to yourself. Do you need to unplug and reset? Don’t forget that your creativity needs room to breathe and grow. You’ve got this adventurer. I believe in you!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions you can reach me at victoria@make-believepress.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Stay safe, Adventurer!

-Victoria

P.S. The sunlight through the trees photo was by Johannes Plenio and the forest path photo was by Shakti Rajpurohit. Both photos can be found on Unsplash. The Rhododendron Forest picture was a screenshot of the YouTube thumbnail.

If you haven't done so already, you can get a look at “The World Is Full Of A**holes” by going to the secret page “Cellar Door” on Make-Believe Press' website and using the password “Magicword” to gain access.

Stay Connected

Facebook ~ Instagram