the words of your life...
Before I begin, I would just like to say how much
I appreciate your very kind words to my last post.
The tissue barometer has been way up there.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart. :)
Speaking of words, care to play a game of scrabble?
It is not the usual game, it is more of a writing exercise.
Get a piece of paper, a pen and start writing the words
that you associate with your life.
People, places, cherished items, your favourite movies,
books, music...whatever you like
Can I give you a hint of a good place to start?
If you are a blogger, look to the labels in your blog.
They are very revealing.
If you are not a blogger, look to your bookshelves,
the objects around your house, the person sitting across from you.
No order is necessary, punctuation and capitalisation's not required.
Just write..plain and simple.
Take your time, start it, put it away and then come back to it.
I promise, word after word will flow, when you least expect it.
I started with a list of my favourite things and then it took shape to another list.
I'm still going...it is nice to think that this list will never end.
It's one of those life exercises that is good for the soul.
I hope you enjoy this exercise, it can be very revealing.
To start, answer the following statement.
If life were a game of scrabble, my words would be...
Here is what I have so far:
family and laughter
bouquets and flowers
pashley and bicycle
shop around the corner
brooches and cashmere
art and museums
lists and lists
paris
irish tweed
cinema classics
shanghai tang silk
blue agava and cacao perfume
papua new guinea
diamonds and sapphires
journals
cary grant and grace kelly
ireland
artistic and vintage postcards
Manchester
ella fizgerald and louis armstrong
bora bora
sketch pads
surrey
reading and writing
canon and camera
england and ireland
without reservations and educating alice
books and bookshelves
new york
sauvignon blanc
south pacific
road trip
spirit
fresh canvas
flat white and coffee
perrier jouet and champagne
christine and patrick
virgo
blue sea
massachusetts
diana krall and melody gardot
singing beach
vanilla beans and brodo
mm and lv
pure fiji
blog
london
james taylor and joni mitchell
fairlight and manly
home
photography
women and wisdom
capes
cabernet sauvignon
postcard
english bbc tv/movie classics
mister pip
shalimar perfume
the wind chronicler
peter
woman traveller
mother and father
84 charing cross road
new zealand
claire and connor
katharine hepburn and spencer tracey
cashmere jeans
the smell of freshly cut grass
akubra and dubarry
ibrahim ferer and stan getz
blueberries
tika
remuera
jack johnson and john mayer
collage of life
myrna loy and william powell
australia and aboriginal
mr amd mrs h
vietnam
mango and kiwi
gang of four and girlfriends
new england
gardening and hydrangeas
apron and tea towel
connecticut
nat king cole and nina simone
scotland and edinburgh
creative spaces
tuscany
diane keaton and jack nicholson
yo yo ma and andrea bocelli
rockport
coffee table books
greenwich
madeline peyroux and angelique kidjo
chelsea and sloane square
walking and hiking
kayaking
africa
I am still going.
Do you ever write lists like this?
If you care to share via post or letter, I would love to read your list.
You can write to me: jeannecollageoflife@gmail.com
POSTSCRIPT:
More words from around the world.
Janelle @ A Library of Design
Elizabeth @ Pine Cones and Acorns
Loree @ Stories and Scribbles
Francesca @ Postcard Pictures
POSTSCRIPT:
More words from around the world.
Janelle @ A Library of Design
Elizabeth @ Pine Cones and Acorns
Loree @ Stories and Scribbles
Francesca @ Postcard Pictures
Best wishes to one and all.
May you find the words of your life!
Jeanne xx
:)
Oh my gosh I love this post. So sweet...and I think it would be a fun and perhaps revealing exercise, to do in a stream-of-consciousness fashion and see what shows up. Love it!
ReplyDeleteMary, I would love to know what you think of this exercise. I hope you enjoy it is much as I am. :) xx
DeleteI'm not as good with the word association thing but reading yours is amazing!! I had to read back and go to your "about Me" page to see what you were talking about too. I loved getting to know a little more about you!! I love seeing you in a picture too. It helps to add up a little more...the person behind the blogs. Thankyou...you are such an interesting woman!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Donna...I hope you write a word list, you can start with your grandchildren. :) They will love it!
DeleteHello Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe how many similarities we have on our favorites list. I am going to post on this tomorrow and I will link to your wonderful post. I think it is always so wonderful to learn more about you.
I am so excited to begin this fabulous exercise.
Have a great day!
xoxo Elizabeth
Yes! Thank you Elizabeth! Let's start a linky 'word' party. Now, if I can just figure out how you do that.... :)xx
DeleteWhat a terrific post Jeanne. I'm going to try and get some quiet time over the weekend to do this :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you do Kerry, I would love to know what you think. :)xx
DeleteThis list showed me more of you than your about me post (which I loved!)
ReplyDeleteI think this list is the reason we are drawn to each other and I have no doubts that if all the bloggers I feel a closeness to were to do a list they would all be very similar!
I have a beautiful Florentine leather notebook that has sat empty for years now I do believe I have found a use for it!! Perhaps my lists will, one day, tell my children who I really was!!!! xx
Thanks so much Jules. You touched on the magic words here Jules.. 'tell my children'... even better, add them to your email distribution list and tell them who you really are today. I did! :)xx
DeleteOOh Jeanne THIS is just wonderful - I can't wait to start mine on the weekend. Will keep you posted - such a creative idea! Francesca
ReplyDeleteThank you Francesca...please keep me posted, this is fun! :)xx
DeleteHi Jeanne - look what you started!
Deletehttp://postcardpictures.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/my-life-on-scabble-board.html
Have linked it back to you too.
Love it - thank you so much for the inspiration.
Anything else? What's next?
Francesca x
I LOVE scrabble and word games....
ReplyDeletethis post felt rather cathartic.
It is very relaxing Leslie...I imagine you will be smiling quite a bit as well. :)xx
DeleteOk..I am officially word happy, crazy, in love with what I am reading here. I just received the most wonderful email with a beautiful list....words can't describe how touched I am. :)
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm up for it!
ReplyDeleteLove this, Jeanne. I'm terrible at Scrabble but love reading and writing lists. James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, huh? Love that!
ReplyDeleteGood combinations.. yes? :)xx
DeleteOh, and Jack Johnson, John Mayer too.
ReplyDeleteJeanne,
ReplyDeleteHello! I hope you are having a wonderful Friday. Hopefully you have a relaxing weekend planned with as little paperwork as possible.
I spent a very enjoyable 20 minutes last evening with the words just flowing out onto the paper. I loved your idea so much I have written my Friday post about it. I have linked back to you.
Here is my link of words.
http://pineconesandacorn.blogspot.com/2012/03/words-of-lifewriting-exercise.html
Thank you for such a wonderful idea!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth...so so excited, I am off to read and thrilled that you created a list. :) xx
DeleteOh Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention, also go to Wordle, and copy and past your word list and you can make a collage of your list.
I hve the link on my post if you are not familiar with it. I thought it was fun to see my list in collage form.
That would be another great link party...making a Wordle collage of our life, interests, favorite foods, places to travel, etc.
Off to do some work, Elizabeth
Fantastic! Now...I just have to figure out how to add Linky.. :)xx
DeleteI love it!!! fantastic post, jeanne!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, what a great idea, I love Scrabble, and lists and I are great friends. Am going to start doing this over the weekend, will let you know how I get on..via email.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a wonderful idea Jeanne. Lists are so much a part of my life. I can totally relate to this post. And I see we have some life words in common - like Tuscany :)
ReplyDeleteI started my list last Friday Jeanne, but scrapped it yesterday when I realized I'd been under the influence of post-op Panadeine Forte & it was unpublishable!! Will start again today, as I'm going cold turkey on the analagesia 'cos I need to return to work on Wed. My list won't be anywhere near as good as yours though, geez mate kayaking....could ya tone it down a bit!!!
ReplyDeleteMillie xx
Hello big sis...ahh what a little excercise. I looked at my tags on my blog and indeed it is quite telling. There are a lot of flowers, art, shoes and home. A sign?! I found a list I made in a notebook about a year or so ago entitled 'what I need to make me happy' and now that was very telling to go back to after a year! I shall save it up for a blog post! Lou x
ReplyDeleteI love this list, Jeanne! I love lists in general, but this one is just fantastic. I just might have to compile one myself.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, I somehow missed this wonderful post this weekend. I can't wait to compile my own list. I think I might have to begin with words....lists. You always have the most wonderful ideas. Hugs, Bonnie
ReplyDelete