Does your gifted child or a classroom child react negatively to sensory stimulus? Instead of seeing the sensory quirks as a negative aspect of life, there are many ways to change the focus to finding a creative spark. Kazimierz Dabrowski recognized gifted kids often have overly sensitive responses to their environment. Within his studies, he looked at many aspects of how these often-perceived flaws or disruptions in kids are perhaps simply a function of their brains working overtime to process information at a higher speed or level. There is a long list of Dabrowski’s Excitabilities. Dabrowski broke down the “sensual” excitabilities into heightened reactions to the five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. These positive or negative reactions could involve sensitivity to smells, tastes, textures, a strong appreciation of beauty, a scavenger-level love of objects, an increased need for comfort or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, being bothered by tactile intrusions like a shirt tag. Instead of viewing the behaviors as negative, I agree with Dabrowski that the excitabilities can become a positive aspect if approached as an equal gift, instead of as a detriment or distraction. For this blog entry, I am going to explore using Dabrowski’s “sensual” excitability of touch to find a creative spark by taking a look at how a heightened tactile sense can be used to encourage creative writing. In creative writing and artistic pursuits especially, the excitability behavior can be viewed as that moment of inspiration when the increased sensitivity to a sensual experience is that eureka moment when great creativity strikes. When Cohen composed the song “Hallelujah,” it is reported he was found exhausted in a hotel room from the creative process of writing the song. Finding that eureka moment of creativity may be as simple as harnessing these sensory excitabilities. To begin, think of the question: How does a gifted child experience the world through the perception of Dabrowski? The simplest way to get that answer is to just ask the child, especially at that moment when the excitability is at its heightened state. When socks or a shirt are irritating them, ask what about the sensation bothers them. The answer might be as simple as the sensation is itchy, or the child might respond by saying that it feels as if a snake is crawling up their back. After exploring the child’s perception of the heightened sensory experience, the next step can be to find ways to encourage creative writing enhanced by that very sensitivity to tactile influences. Many of the exercises below can also be adapted for the other senses. I will continue the exploration of the excitabilities in upcoming columns with additional techniques to make often-difficult responses into positive creative outlets. Exploring the tips below can be a great way to explore creativity. 1-Interactive journalling can be used to integrate actual tactile materials into a writing journal. In a similar fashion that a scrapbook might be used, interactive journalling with tactile objects can introduce the feel of a memory by having the texture or feel of that object next to the words it describes. While pressing leaves and dried flowers might be the first idea, including tactile journal reminders can extend beyond nature objects to money, fabric, images, tickets—anything that physically reminds the child by heightening the sense that made the object’s feel important to them at the outset. To change the interactive journal to fit with the other senses, a journal of photographs can be made, or the tactile objects can be used in a sight-based format instead. 2-Creating a “feeling collage.” Buy a simple canvas and have the child collect tactile objects on a nature walk or just through the house. Glue the objects to the canvas. Have the child feel the objects with their eyes open, and then again with their eyes closed. Have them write about how things feel differently with and without the sense of sight. To adapt the “feeling collage” for other senses, the child can be introduced to different smells and tastes with and without their other senses present. For example, blindfold while tasting or smelling and see if the objects invoke a different response. Write notes about how an apple smells and tastes when the child can’t see it. 3-Explore emotions. The next time the child has an emotional reaction to a tactile object or feeling, have them write down where their emotions go when they physically and emotionally feel something. Is there a tearful response when they touch their teddy bear because it was a special gift? Does the feel of the ocean breeze make them afraid they will drown? 4-Writing prompts with eyes closed and only a tactile feel of the area. This exercise may require a little parent or teacher help. Have the child focus on the surroundings and materials involved in writing: the feel of the paper, the desk, the pencil, the computer keys, the floor under their feet, eraser bits, pencil shavings. Make the tactile feeling of writing a focus in the process. Other senses can be explored by having the child describe everything they see with each of the other individual senses. By honing in on one specific sense at a time, it can help the child focus their thoughts. 5-Writing prompts with objects as inspiration. Narrow the tactile influence by starting with a prompt that focuses on touch. Some examples: “She felt like . . .” “He touched the . . .” “The breeze blew across the . . .” “The dog’s fur felt like . . .” “My tears feel like . . .” To focus on a different sensory reaction, substitute “She saw . . .”. 6-Take notes all day on the tactile feelings of their surroundings. At the end of the day, take an inventory of the experience, and use it to set up character settings based on the descriptions of how their actual environment felt all day. This could be as simple as what the car leather
Teaching Writing
The Making of an Author: Evelyn Chen
Most of the writers we publish in Stone Soup are published only once. This is not a bad thing. Even some very famous authors, like Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) and Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), are known for the one great book they wrote. But over the years the pages of Stone Soup have also featured the work of young writers who sent us one great story after another. Some were published twice, some three times, some even more. The current record [in 2016] – seven times – is held by William Gwaltney, whose stories appeared in Stone Soup between 2006 and 2009. The Girl Next Door is the featured story from our March/April 2016 issue. It is the fourth story by Evelyn Chen to appear in Stone Soup. We can’t help but wonder if frequent contributors like Evelyn, who is clearly passionate about writing and very good at it, will go on to write professionally when she grows up. We love every one of Evelyn’s stories and hope our readers do too. If you look closely, you will start to recognize her literary voice. “Julius’s Gift” [January/February 2014], “No Regrets” [March/April 2015], The Voice of the Seal [May/June 2015], and The Girl Next Door [March/April 2016] are all well-written, entertaining stories, with complex, relateable characters. In addition, each story has a powerful message to convey. Clearly, Evelyn has strong feelings about injustices in the world. She realizes her stories can address those injustices and maybe even change some minds. The narrator of The Girl Next Door is a girl named Hazel. When Hazel’s mom arranges for her to teach piano to the girl next door, who happens to be blind, Hazel’s prejudices come out. Via is a sweet girl who learns quickly. She likes Hazel and would like to be her friend, but Hazel doesn’t give her a chance. She is certain that Via is “different.” The implication is that she thinks Via is inferior. In subtle ways, Evelyn shows the reader that Hazel is wrong. Via is polite and friendly. Hazel, on the other hand, comes off as immature, pouting when she finds out she has to teach a blind girl, plopping down on the couch and glaring at the ceiling. She makes sarcastic comments like “Whatever” when her mom tries to reason with her and “Oh great” when her mom reminds her it’s time to go next door. The reader sympathizes with Via and realizes early on that blind people are no different from sighted people. As we read along, we want Hazel to recognize this fact too. Finally, after a confrontation during which Via tells Hazel how she feels, Hazel wakes up and begins to change. An injustice has been righted. Two of Evelyn’s three other published stories also tackle injustices, from sexism in Ancient Rome (“Julius’s Gift”), when boys learn to read but not girls, to the environmental problem of seals getting trapped in fishermen’s nets in The Voice of the Seal. “No Regrets” has a message of a different kind. Rhonda is fiercely competitive, and she’s rude to the other girls on the track team. Bailey dislikes her, even though Bailey’s mom tries to help her understand that Rhonda’s behavior has a lot to do with her family’s problems. Rhonda’s brother is gravely ill and needs an operation her family can’t afford. Rhonda doesn’t just want to win the Oregon State Championship Race, along with the prize money. She needs to win. In the surprise ending, Bailey learns two big lessons: 1) there are more important things in life than winning, and 2) sometimes when people aren’t nice it’s because they are struggling and need our compassion. Evelyn Chen will turn 14 in a couple of months, so, sadly, we may not see more of her stories in Stone Soup. But we hope she keeps writing. Maybe one day we’ll be picking up a copy of her new novel at our local bookstore. Is there something you feel passionate about? Maybe you’ve been the victim of bullying, or you’ve watched someone else get bullied, and you wish you could stop it. Maybe you’re caught up in the presidential campaign, and you agree or disagree with some of the candidates’ positions. Perhaps you’re an animal lover who feels strongly about how animals are treated when they are kept in zoos or raised for their meat. Wouldn’t it be great if you could persuade others to see the world the way you do? Like Evelyn, you could make a difference in your readers’ hearts and minds with a well-written story. Think of a group of characters. Give them personality traits that make them believable, but show us their weaknesses too. Some of their thinking is off. What will it take for them to change? This could be the beginning of your next great story.
Can Boys Write About Girls, and Vice-Versa?
The standard advice for new writers — “Write what you know” — is good advice for all writers. When you write about what you know first hand, you have your own experiences to draw on. You can fill in all those details from your own life to make your characters, their emotions, and the situations they find themselves in believable. It’s not surprising that most of the stories we publish in Stone Soup by girl authors have girls as the main characters. And most of our boy authors write about boys. But every once in a while, we find a great story where the author has managed to create believable characters of the opposite sex. In our November/December 2015 issue, we have not one but two such stories! In “Face Your Fears,” 12-year-old author Jem Burch, a boy from California, writes about two sisters who were abandoned by their parents when they were very young. Flash forward eight years, and the sisters are living what should be a happy life with their loving adoptive mom, Amber. But older sister Katherine can’t get past the trauma of losing her parents. It’s younger sister Lily who finally helps Katherine face her fears and snap out of her depression. “Thank You, Mr. Huffington,” by 10-year-old Nadia Suben of New York, shows us a young boy who is also dealing with loss. Josh misses his dad terribly. He reluctantly joins the school band. He likes the band teacher, Mr. Huffington, but he doesn’t practice his trumpet. Then there’s a pivotal scene where Mr. Huffington confronts Josh, and Josh confides, “My dad… he was a jazz musician.” Josh starts to cry, and Mr. Huffington, great guy that he is, knows just what to do. He puts his arm around Josh to comfort him. He helps Josh see that music can help him cope with a tough situation. Josh will never forget Mr. Huffington’s advice, or his kindness. Both of our young authors show a deep understanding of their characters. Both make us believe that these are real people. We are moved by them. We feel what they feel. How do Jem and Nadia do it? How do they put themselves in the minds of a character of the opposite sex? Perhaps Jem has a sister he knows really well. Perhaps Nadia has a brother. I bet both authors read a lot and get ideas for their own work by paying close attention to what they read. While it may not be the obvious choice for a boy to write about girls, or vice-versa, why not give it a try? Start by thinking about the stories Jem and Nadia wrote. Then think about your favorite kids’ books by adults. Harry Potter comes to mind, of course. Give yourself a challenge and try writing a story from a point of view that is very different from your own, but still believable.
