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Friday 8 July 2011

(F8) Magic Dish Water by Kimberly Kinrade



It's time for MAGIC! See what inspires fantasy writer Kimberly Kinrade.

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Do you see the magic in the everyday moments? 


As a fantasy writer, I create magic all the time. My characters dive into darkness, challenging monsters, overcoming fears, and mastering their powers.

But what about in real life? How does a writer of magic find the magic in something so benign as doing dishes? Escapism and the willing suspension of disbelief are wonderful tools to let us immerse ourselves in story. Staying in the present is the tool we need to immerse ourselves in our own magical lives.

So often when I am working in my house, engaging with my children or spending time with my partner, I am not really present. I know you can’t relate to this at all! That experience of being in the past or future, or another world altogether…anywhere but right here, right now.

But that is where REAL magic exists.

Take a moment right now and look around. Where are you? What do you see? Feel? Smell? Taste? Hear? How does it feel to be completely present to this moment in time? If there are others with you, take time to make eye contact, fully seeing them and allowing them to see you. Be in no other time or place. That’s magic. It’s not the big moments of grand adventure. It’s all the steps it takes to get to those moments.

Magic is in doing the dishes.

Think about it. Dishes start out dirty. You fill the sink with water and add soap. And the dirt disappears. *Magic* I know we all would probably prefer a wand or fairies to help us out with this, but next time you do the dishes, try to stay fully present with each dish, each bubble, each warm drop of water that carcasses your skin as you clean away the dirt.

The Japanese understand this. They can make any daily chore a ritual of beauty. Their tea ceremonies, for example. Each breath taken is the reflection of a meditative spirit. Every item of clothing, every movement of the body is specific, practiced, and intentional.

Now I’m not suggesting that everyone start wearing fancy clothes to wash dishes, but I am suggesting that even in doing dishes, cleaning house, or cuddling with our loved ones, we can bring the sacred into that space. I don’t mean religion (though that can be a part of it, for those who are inclined), but I do mean the kind of focus that lights a fire in you and others.

In a day and age of multitasking and distractions, it is especially difficult to discipline our mind in this way. And it is a discipline. Just like magic! If you read great fantasies, or any book for that matter, you see that the hero has to become disciplined in their practice of magic, fighting, or whatever they need in order to fulfill their quest.

A great book begins with a character who has room to grow. Doesn’t this define us all? And that growth comes from self-mastery, self-understanding, and discipline. For us, the same is true. We are all on a hero’s quest. And maybe we don’t battle dragons or fall in love with sparkly vampires, but we do battle dust bunnies and fall in love with the wonderful diamonds in our life. 

To fully appreciate our journey, we have to see the magic in the dish water. Without that awareness we sleep walk through life and miss all the fun! So the next time you find your mind slipping away, practice some everyday magic and make that moment count!

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Kimberly Kinrade is a Young Adult fantasy author whose first book, "Bits of You & Pieces of Me", was not YA, but rather a collection of short stories, poems and essays that tell the tale of a young girl in love with love who discovers the demon of a splintered heart when that love turns violent.

Watch for her YA paranormal fantasies Rent-A-Kid,  Death by Destiny, and The Reluctant Familiar early fall and stalk her on Twitter, Facebook, or her website where she is known to talk about love, magic and so much more. 

10 comments:

Dmytry Karpov said...

Great post.

Now I'm going to go and be present with my fiance. She's magic.

Jennie Bennett said...

I just had to get on here and say, I LOVE YOUR LIFE LIST! And I also seriously can't wait for the next harry potter *swoons*

Unknown said...

Dmytry,
She sounds magical :) You should definitely go spend time with her. (For those of you reading this...I am his fiance! xoxox I'm so luck!)

Unknown said...

@Dmytry & @Kimberly LOL! Commenting on your fiance's blog post is real devotion if you ask me. :D

@Jen Thanks, sweets. I can't wait is right, I'm counting down the minutes!

S.P. Sipal said...

Oh how sweet! Came here for a post on magic and not only found wisdom, but love too.

Kimberly, all the titles for your upcoming book are intriguing and wonderful. And I love your description for your first book.

And Jen, I totally agree with you on the Harry Potter film...as if I didn't OD on the premiere footage yesterday! :-)

Unknown said...

@Lyn He is wonderful indeed :)

@SP Sipal Thank you! If only I could practice my own everyday magic more, I would be much happier (and I'm pretty darn happy, so that's saying something!) I hope you enjoy the sneak peeks of my books and that you'll check them out when they are published! They've been fun to write.

Lauren @ Pure Text said...

I've heard and read a lot about "living in the moment." I love getting lost in thought, though; it helps me create poetry. I also love becoming fully aware of my surroundings. I believe both are needed.

I really enjoyed this article. :)

Unknown said...

Thank you Lauren.
I too enjoy getting lost in my mind and creating my worlds and stories there. But I'm really seeing the value of staying in the moment and having balance!

Anonymous said...

In modern times, it's important to take time for things like these. Hardly anyone speaks about beautiful little things like this anymore, not in ordinary conversations. Such a shame.

Unknown said...

@TheKingdomtrilogy
Time to bring it back then :) Here's to thinking and speaking about the beautiful little moments in life that make it all worth living!