Jessica
The root of mindfulness in a creative practice, in my mind, is in sensory awareness. For the next five days, I will focus on my scent and taste sensory awareness. I have brought these two senses together, because they are so interrelated, both physically and psychologically.
One of the things I have noticed in my writing is that scents and aromas are linked to memories for me. I can smell a certain brand of hairspray, for instance, and instantly remember the locker room in my junior high. What’s more, I can not only remember the visual atmosphere, but I can recall the distinct sense of terror that accompanied me whenever I entered the room. Luckily, not all of my scent-memories are quite this traumatic.
For my first exercise related to scent, I am going to pick a specific scent from my day. It can be anything, from the scent of my neighborhood after the rain to the smell of my husband cooking dinner. From this specific scent, I am going to write about the memories it conjures up for me. While it will be linked to what has happened during my day, I also hope to tie it to an event or experience from my past.
