The Spark Crew - November: Finding the light (01)

An invitation to explore, to play, to create

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Here in the Northern Hemisphere, darkness seeps into our days. Halloween has been celebrated. The fires of Samhain lie in embers. Fallen leaves rot and skeletonize. In my edge of Scotland, the sun will set at 3.45pm by the end of the month. On dank days, of which there are many, it will be dark by mid afternoon.

And yet, November holds a charm of its own. The pumpkins have been dispatched to soup pots and compost heaps. Golden light hangs low as geese ruckus overhead. My husband’s birthday is celebrated with a Beaver watch walk. Plans to gather are made, sequin outfits obsessed over. After embracing all things creepy and Gothic in October, I’m ready to let the light back in.

Our theme for the month emerged from these thoughts and reflections. It was born from a tendency towards the dark and a need to lean into the light. To bring warmth to these coming winter weeks and low energy days.

So coorie in, grab a cuppa, and come chase the light with me.

New project = new sketch/notebooks. Luckily I had these ones, by Scottish artist Hannah Longmuir, waiting in the wings.

INSPIRATION SPARKS

Our November theme, ‘Finding the light’ can be interpreted in many ways. Maybe you will respond to it with a creative piece of your own, or perhaps you’ll simply spend the next few weeks gently noticing the play of light - how it shapes your space at different times of day.

Wherever you choose to begin, here are some starting points to ponder - or pass over - as you please.

In the dictionary

Light can be a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary will take you deeper into its etymology, should you wish to travel there. For the writers among you, a starting point could be coming up with your own list of synonyms or associated words, then seeing if you can use some of these in your piece. There’s also plenty of scope here for a list, or catalogue, poem.

In creative non-fiction

Consider the way that Julia Watts Belser’s The Last Time I Climbed A Mountain, published in Issue 77 / Fall 2024 of Brevity Magazine, uses light-based imagery. What does it add to the piece? What is illuminated and what is left in the mist?

In film

Released in 1982, Blade Runner was genre defining in its use of light to create atmosphere, and in so doing established a new aesthetic:

“Innovative lighting techniques create a dark, oppressive atmosphere with wet street reflections, long shadows, and chiaroscuro, emphasizing the tension between reality and artifice, humanity and technology.”

Light in Sci-Fi: The Dark Cyberpunk Dystopia of Blade Runner by Pietro Leonardi writing in Atmosfera.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins brings his own creative vision to the sequel, Blade Runner 2049, released in 2017. Here he talks about experimentation, the use of light to create mood and atmosphere, and how he strives for authenticity in his work.

How could you use light (or its absence) to set the tone of your piece? And thinking about the Italian concept of chiaroscuro (light-dark), where might contrasts emerge?

(Side note - Heading into tangent territory here, but this interview with Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and the brilliant Alison Hammond never fails to crack me up. Another type of light.)

In poetry

In the concrete poem, I Understand This Light To Be My Home by Mai Der Vang, how does the shifting shape, and density, of the poem’s visuals impact the way you experience it?

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WAYS IN

Words - Fans of freewriting might like to try starting with a five minute stream of consciousness scribble. Another option is having a go at beginning to draft a short essay. Or if you’re the keeper of a commonplace book (and if you’re not, then now might be the time to start one), you could simply observe and capture what catches your attention, light-wise, in the coming week or two.

Sketchbooking - Whether you’re working with pens, paint, mixed-media or something else entirely, try exploring the theme in your coming pages. What is the texture, tone, feel of November light? What grows in its absence?

Movement / Music / Costume - So beyond my current area of practice but I’d love to see where this takes you if it’s yours. Also, let’s collaborate soon.

Switch it up - If you usually write prose then how would it feel to give poetry a go? Or maybe you could try playing a piece of music (perhaps Moderat’s - Let In The Light), and letting a pen or paintbrush go for a walk. Visual artists might like to consider the constraint of words, and poets could have a go at making a visual - or concrete - poem, or a short poetry film.

Anything at all you feel like getting creative with. The rules are - there are no rules!

OVERWHELMED BY CHOICE?

How about setting a timer for 15 minutes and having a go at writing an ekphrastic piece inspired by one of these paintings or photographs. Describe what you see, feel, assume and wish you knew about the scene in as much detail as you can.

AUTONOMY OPTION

If the theme doesn’t speak to you, or you’re off on a tangent to an entirely different place, then you have my full permission (not that you need it) to do your own thing. Rebels are always welcome here.

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In two weeks’ time, I’ll be sharing a follow-up post with something I’ve written or made based on this starting spark (no pressure then!) and I’d LOVE for you to do the same, if that’s not too terrifying a thought. Remember, it’s all about the process and expanding our creative comfort zones, rather than expecting any particular outcome. Works in progress, half-formed thoughts and over-ambitious plans are all to be expected and welcomed in. In this way we’re scrapbooking our way towards a more creative season.

Between now and then, I’ll check in via Threads to see where it’s taking you. Feel free to share any thoughts, ideas or questions in the comments here or in the Threads section meantime.

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