QuickWrite of the Day #13: Things to Do

"Writing can be used as a vehicle to express ourselves as we negotiate the journey through our lives” (Gallagher, 2011: p. 24)

Today’s QuickWrite of the Day:

We’re a few weeks into social distancing and isolation, and it’s normal to feel bored at times. During times when I feel bored, I like to remind myself of this quote by the philosopher Slavoj Zizek: “Without boredom, no creativity.”

Dan Albergotti’s poem ‘Things to Do in the Belly of Whale’ explores feelings of boredom and frustration while trying to find meaning in a particular situation. Check it out below:

Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale by Dan Albergotti

Measure the walls. Count the ribs. Notch the long days.
Look up for blue sky through the spout. Make small fires
with the broken hulls of fishing boats. Practice smoke signals.
Call old friends, and listen for echoes of distant voices.
Organize your calendar. Dream of the beach. Look each way
for the dim glow of light. Work on your reports. Review
each of your life’s ten million choices. Endure moments
of self-loathing. Find the evidence of those before you.
Destroy it. Try to be very quiet, and listen for the sound
of gears and moving water. Listen for the sound of your heart.
Be thankful that you are here, swallowed with all hope,
where you can rest and wait. Be nostalgic. Think of all
the things you did and could have done. Remember
treading water in the center of the still night sea, your toes
pointing again and again down, down into the black depths.

In the spirit of this poem, what does your list of ‘things to do’ at the moment look like? What would you like to do? What feelings are you experiencing along the way? Start with a list, then use it as inspiration for your writing.

Want more QuickWrite topics? Check out the slide deck here, or see it in presentation mode on our Resources page.

Happy writing!