Dust Off Your Faerie Wings and Play

by Barbara Ann Yoder | Aug 30, 2013 | Inspiration, Writing Prompts | 2 comments

Summer is all about festivals and fun, being a kid again, having time to read and play. When you give yourself time to play, you can tap into childlike energy that will help you write more freely and have more fun when you write.

To keep the playful energy going into autumn, here’s a video to inspire a little magic, from some some folks in Asheville, NC, who really know how to play. This enchanting performance troupe of stiltwalkers, faeries, and elves goes by the name Whee Ahh Faerie Kin. In this 4-minute video, troupe coordinator Alina Ahh Ever shares her vision, and the troupe performs.

My niece Nara Bauer is a stilt-walker with Whee Ahh Faerie Kin. Photo copyright Emily Nichols.

Whee Ahh Faerie Kin appears at festivals, parties, and other gatherings, where they share songs, blessings, and all kinds of fun. They make their own costumes and masks. One of the stilt-walking faeries, Nara Bauer, pictured here, is my kin! Ahh! Photo copyright 2013 Emily Nichols.
See more of Emily’s photos on her website and Facebook page.

Take a few minutes to write about your childhood:

Who did you play pretend with?
What kinds of imaginative games did you play?
What are your favorite ways to play today?

Take yourself on a shopping spree. Hit the toy store, the art supply store, the stationery store. Pick up some crayons, finger paints, Play Dough, watercolors, paper, pens, and anything else that catches your eye. Bring them home. Open them up. Play.

Write to music. Do some wordplay.

Get together with your writing friends and try some of the writing exercises Sandra Hunter suggests in “The Exquisite Corpse … and Other Writing Exercises for Kids of All Ages.”

What are you favorite ways to play with writing?

Comments

2 Comments

Tania on August 30, 2013 at 11:05 am

Just your beautiful image of masked fairy brought to mind watching Midsummer Night’s Dream in the redwoods in Northern California. And watching the winged fairies this summer at Disneyland–I remember especially two fairies in blue tap dance shoes–they lit me right up…never too old, are we, to be moved by wings and bright slippers.

Thank you for the video, photo still, and your questions, and your shopping list–four sweet ways to engage all variety of visitor to your generous site.
Fred M Zarro on August 31, 2013 at 4:38 am

Nice article about something near and dear to my heart-getting back in touch with the magic and playfulness of childhood, lost too soon. Trying to remember what it felt like, before my family fell apart, and it’s hard, but it’s in there somewhere! Narastiltskin (as I call her :O), has helped me remember that, and all the Faerie Kin help recapture that time of believing in love-and that anything is possible. Alina has done a really great thing with her vision, good job Alina!! Thanks for the article, and video!!