Handing the Reins Over to Chance

Not all the time, but every now and then

Hello readers!

Here we are in the belly of summer, surviving steamy days and, for some of us, smoky nights. Personally, I’m still in the belly of my job search, sending out resumes and trying not to act too weird during interviews. There are plenty of tips and tricks for becoming the perfect candidate, but it’s a process that can feel pretty random after a while.

One company might seem like a sure thing, but never respond. Another is a long shot, but gets in touch immediately. Why? Who knows? Probably the gods of chance are having a laugh.

[Prepare yourself for an amazingly graceful segue…]

We don’t always consider incorporating chance into our creative processes. Creators want to reflect their unique visions, steer each detail, and shape every moment into something meaningful. Even coincidences tend to be mapped, engineered, and claimed.

But, it doesn’t always have to be that way.

photo by me

Modern dance choreographer (and kind of a big deal) Merce Cunningham was fascinated by the idea of giving up control and incorporating chance into his work. For example: Instead of mapping out a sequence of steps, he might roll a dice to determine their order. He was also known for having his dancers perform pre-choreographed movement to random songs. Audiences never knew what they might see when they attended a Merce Cunningham concert. Sometimes things went great. Sometimes… disaster.

But, the human brain is always seeking connections and patterns. Even the most random occurrences have a tendency to morph into something meaningful.

Maybe, just for fun, try introducing an element of chance into your own work. This Medium essay has some chance operation ideas for poets. Here’s another Medium piece on encouraging serendipitous creativity. Chaos is all around us… release control for a moment… play… and see what unfolds!

Happy July,

~Sarah

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Recommendation Corner

(not sponsored)

Movie: The entrancing Past Lives is a shoo-in for my 2023 top ten list. It’s carefully written, believably acted, and imaginatively filmed.

Podcast: This month I’ve been listening to a super-silly podcast titled Who shat on the floor at my wedding? If you’re looking for something true crimey, but fun instead of grim, this is for you.

Beauty: Summer is a great time to introduce playfulness into your style. I’ve been experimenting with nail stickers. Recommended for writers in particular, they make typing feel fancy and special.

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Stuff I Wrote

(ungated link)

How to Squid Game Yourself Through the Decline of Online Writing

The online content game has always been a pyramid scheme. A small collection of writers sit at the top, earning all the applause, attention and lucrative foot fungus sponsorships. The rest of us stare suspiciously in their direction, wondering how we can steal some of their magic. As the environment grows more and more competitive, we need to put that suspicion into action.