What’s New? Spark is SO last year but continues to be my guide in the classroom and in life. As a teacher I am constantly seeking ways to spark the love of writing in my students and generally spark joy in our learning community (aka classroom). As a human I continually work to prioritize sparking joy in my life and relationships. While I tend to pick my One Little Word in January – the process of selecting a One Little Word is helpful for both reflection and goal-setting and that can happen any time of year! In fact, it can be a wonderful exercise to close out a project, semester, or school year! Do you have a One Little Word? FYI, my One Little Word for 2023 is Perspective!
Original: Choosing my One Little Word is always a journey. As I note in Considering the #OLW, I intend for my one little word to guide my thoughts and actions. I mean guide in the most expansive and awesome sense of the word. My #OLW should show me the way and direct my actions, it should influence both my decisions and course of action for the year. I see my one little word as a safari guide and touchstone. My choice each year is driven by what I most need and entering our third pandemic year there is nothing I need more than a spark.
I was drawn to this word from the first time my fellow Rebel Cartographers added it to the list of possible title/themes for the Morehead Writing Project’s small poems project (we have been brainstorming a lot of “sp” acronyms) and the more I thought about its various definitions the more I knew this was my word.
I possess enough self knowledge to never describe myself as “a small fiery particle” but I also know that my current state is the product of “striking together two hard surfaces” and one of my most sincere wishes is to “produce a sudden disruptive electrical discharge through the air.” I am entering 2021 sad and depleted and so I hope my one little word will ignite a spark in my life.
Reflecting on my previous words when writing Considering the #OLW further underscored the choice of spark for 2022. I am not yet done with Resist, my one little word for 2021, and its connection to electricity makes spark an apt choice for 2022. My 2017 word, Light. also continues to be one of my favorite words – reinforced by my 2021 Advent Writing Challenge (writing from dark to shadow to light).
A conversation with Ken Burns on the podcast Smartless added yet another reason to understand how spark was the best choice for my guiding word. Thanks Bud Hunt! During the interview, Burns says: “All I want to know is that I made a film better that day.” Burns notes that for him the joy is all in the process and that hit me so hard, because that is also so true for me. I have noted many times on this blog that I am not really interested in helping my students craft perfect argument essays. But if I can spark the writers in my charge with inspiration then it is a good day. If I can spark interesting writing then it is a good day. If I can spark a love of writing then it is a good day. Lighting sparks in writers (including me) brings me joy and I need more joy in my life. Note: My quote comes around 49:45 but the whole interview is worth a listen.
I do not have high hopes for 2022 because I read the news, but I can do more to spark joy in other writers and nurturing the sparks of my own inspiration. There will be more poetry in 2022 in my composition classes and in my National Writing project work to spark both inspiration and joy. I am inspired by some of my Twitter friends who shared poems to guide them in the new year but am torn between two: Spark of the Sky Stag’s Great Heart by Sarah Messer and Fireflies by Fred Chappell. Both capture important ideas to guide my actions and thoughts for 2022. I want to make the most of my life and my time with the people who matter, but I also want to recapture that sense of joy and wonder of a child chasing fireflies in the twilight. I hope my one little word and my new year’s poems will spark inspiration in you as well. Have you considered your guiding word for 2022? How do you bring in the new year as a writer?
Image by Phil Riley from Pixabay
Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay
I’ve been waiting for this post, Deanna, so curious what your word would be. I think it is perfect.
I was excited to see the Ken Burns quote you pulled out of the podcast, because my one little word for the year is “Better” as in Atul Gawande’s book and ideas about pursuing improvements, large and small, but out of curiosity, wonder, or commitment to working on a hard problem, not because someone else says you should be/do better.
May your sparks, as they always have, help light my way toward better.
Happy New Year
We share so much! Our words are so in sync. As always you inspire me to be and do better. Happy New Year, friend!