I’m not one to recommend or partake in food as a way to increase positive emotion, unless I happen to be hungry and the food is nourishing and delicious.
But yesterday a soft-serve ice cream cone brought me unexpected and to-be-savored moments during a difficult time. My husband, a chocolate milkshake lover, said he was heading out to Dairy Queen. It was a beautiful day in Chicago, I’d hit a lull in the work I was doing, and I know my husband enjoys my company.
Once at Dairy Queen, I decided to have a small vanilla cone. The minute I took a lick, I knew it was the flavor of Kiddieland.
Kiddieland, a recently-closed children’s amusement park, was an integral part of my growing up in Oak Park, Illinois.
There, I had my first (and much beloved) tastes of the Tilt-A-Whirl, driving a mini-tractor, the thrilling carousel, the train ride around the park, and my first crush, the Little Dipper roller coaster. And the vanilla soft-serve ice cream.
Memories – mostly images, smells and tastes – poured into my mind. I shared them with my husband. We leaned against the car in the lovely spring sunlight and chatted as if we had no cares, and the world was sweet and fine.
Even in the most difficult of times, being open to the sweetness of life can create positive emotions.
How does that connect to being a resilient writer? This morning I’ll bring the positivity of the senses, memories and connectedness of yesterday into my revisions, and my character’s journey.
Food, or other pleasures of the five senses, can be powerful positive-memory triggers that help our lives, and our writing. Have you had such experiences, ones that beg for being attended to and inject positivity into a difficult day?
Wonderful post, Carol! I actually do use food to improve my mood (i.e., to remind me of happy times and emotions), but I know I’m doing it and why I’m doing it, and I try very hard not to go to excess. (Yeah, I sound like an alcoholic who can “quit any time” right?)
That aside, it’s so important to weave all of the senses into our writing, and it’s something that doesn’t come automatically to many of us. Like most people, I am “sight” oriented, with “hearing” as a close second. Touch, taste, and smell can really bring a story to life for so many reasons!
I agree with you about the importance of sensory details, Scotti – and thanks for responding. Darcy Pattison does some wonderful sensory detail exercises in her revision workshops that have been tremendously helpful…
I like to think of Proust and the madeleine, except for me, replace madeleine with the most snacky food you can think of–I’m talking all the good stuff with cream filling…takes me back to my college days.