#nonsenseinspires week 1: empathy (wandering brides)

Wandering Brides: The Walk | Model: Amanda Solt (arms in bushes belong to Hali)

Hall of curtains, path of light.

Lacey waist and ribbons tight.

Wand'ring forest, cottage rose.

Leafy rooftops, chilly toes.

Destination moving fast.

Fantasy, this cannot last.

Climbing, searching, feeling lost.

Seeking self is worth the cost.

Hall of curtains, path of light.

Wand'ring brides bid thee good night.

Models:
Amanda Solt
Hali Vanderburg Araneo
Kellie Quan

Poem & Photo: Wendy Hurst Portrait

Storytelling imagery is my obsession, and the ability to find inspiration from nonsense in the real world is a key to invention I want to share with anyone who seeks to create. For the next few weeks I’ll be blogging about ways to use nonsense to tell visual stories and increase empathy by challenging the words, “That can’t happen."

#nonsenseinspires is all about seeing the world through the lens of the impossible. It's about tickling your imagination to see if it laughs and letting it's giggles take you to new places. It's about noticing the unnoticeable, thinking the unthought, creating something from nothing. While I'll focus on creating storytelling imagery specifically, I hope these ideas can inspire any kind of storyteller.

Not a storyteller?

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Any answer you give, in any length and detail, with or without words, is telling a story. That means the hard part is already done.

Why storytelling?

Empathy, your friendly neighborhood E-word. The more you can relate to a person or situation, the more you can understand about their feelings and mindset, and empathy grows. Compassion takes hold. You care more. I believe that developing one's storytelling skills can increase compassion in the world, and compassion starts with being able to tell a story. Maybe even your own.

How to Spot Nonsense

Listen for the words, "That can't happen," in your mind, and follow where it leads! A talking tree. A cat that whistles. Bushes with arms. Noticing where your imagination wanders can lead you down new paths to inspiration.

Share!

Show me your nonsense! Use the hashtag #nonsenseinspires to share a photograph, a poem, a sketch, a story, a painting, anything artistic that you create as a result of finding nonsense in the wild. It can be something you already created, or create something new with me!

Maybe even pull that sidewalk chalk out of the closet and share the hashtag responsibly in your community! We all can use a healthy dose of nonsense now and then. :)

I can't wait to see what you come up with.