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Not long ago, I allowed myself a few minutes to study the orchid on my desk.
Though I'd had the plant for several years, it was flowering for the first
time — a minor miracle that made me wonder why it had suddenly decided to
bloom. Pondering this, I felt inspired to read a book of poetry, a book
just published by my good friend Pam Wynn.
As I read, I noticed the orchid's shadow bobbing over the poems, as if the
flowers were trying to interact with the words. It occurred to me that the
shadow's presence and movement might have symbolic meaning. That single
thought led to a powerful realization about my friendship with Pam, as well
as a new poem that I sent to Pam as a gift to celebrate her book's
publication. The experience was a gift to me as well, one I might have
missed completely if I hadn't understood the active role that symbols and
metaphors play in everyday life.
When we become writers, our perception changes. We start to observe what's
happening around us. We note people's gestures and expressions, and the way
they speak. We listen to their adventures, eager for them to spark stories
of our own. But we often leave another layer of observation unexplored — we
forget to look at the real-life symbols that are evident all around us.
To some extent, we chose our symbols. We surround ourselves with artwork,
animals, cars, and even homes that have symbolic meaning for us. Other
symbols are subtle, and we may have little control over them. For example,
I've noticed that owls will gather around my house when I have important
decisions to make. Also, when I go through an emotionally difficult period,
my roof will leak or I'll need to call the plumber about some other,
water-related problem. Some might call these examples of coincidence, but I
call them potent examples of the symbolism at work in my life.
Great writers weave the ordinary and the symbolic with apparent ease, but
like any other element of good writing, this is a skill that we can all
practice and improve. Our lives can be our textbooks. In fact, the more we
work with the symbolic level of our lives, the more we develop a symbolic
language. We learn from experience how the ordinary and the symbolic
interact, and this knowledge can bring great power and depth to our writing.
I encourage each of you to look at your life with a writer's eye. Your life
is a story. You can analyze it the way you would a piece of literature or a
memorable dream. Think about what you're drawn to, the events, the
activities, the challenges, and even the people who populate your life.
Which symbols stand out? Which are more subtle? If you're a fiction
writer, think about this the next time you create new characters. Think
about the symbols that reflect or influence their lives.
Tuning into everyday symbols does require another shift in perception. Slow
down. Watch and listen. Be conscious of what's happening around you and
look for symbolic messages. Not all of the information you uncover will end
up in your creative work. But by paying attention, you'll broaden your
sense of possibility. You'll start to see new connections, new meanings.
Your work — and your life — may never be the same.
As I'm writing this, a female western bluebird is flapping at my office
window, as if desperate to come inside. She's visited before. She has no
fear of me, and I can almost touch her through the screen. If I move from
room to room, she will follow — flapping from window to window. I could
decide to ignore this odd behavior, cite the bird's limited brain capacity,
poor eyesight, or even some strange imprinting that took place early in her
life. But I think she's here for a reason. If I pay attention, maybe I'll
find that she has something important to say.
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