Mindful Sparks for Creative Writing

Week 15

Picture This

A walk in the park can be just a walk. But if you slow down, open your eyes, and really look, it becomes something else: a gathering of small, quiet treasures.

A splash of sunlight on a puddle. A dog leaping for a bouncing ball. A bench with a name plaque that’s always empty. When you pause long enough to notice, these become keepsakes.

Taking photos, mental or otherwise, isn’t about perfection, it’s about paying attention. The image becomes a memory, the memory becomes a story.

This week’s exercise:

Take a slow walk in a nearby park or outdoor space. Use your phone or camera to collect 3–5 photos that catch your eye. Back at your desk, pick one image and write from it. What’s happening just outside the frame? What can’t be seen?

Story Prompt:

“They didn’t mean to take the photo, but it changed everything…”