Subconscious Condiments in the Arts

So, this last weekend, I was priviledged enough to take part in a most excellent theater festival, 14/48, where the point is to create something by the seat of your pants; to grab the first crazy idea you have and ride it all the way home. No second thoughts, no misgivings -- you just have to GO. Basically, I showed up on Thursday night, along with 6 other extraordinary writers, and got handed a theme - "A Late Entry" - and a number of men or women I had to write for, then I had to go out into the night and furiously scribe a 10 minute play, due at 8:00 a.m. the next morning.

I ended up writing a sweet little ditty about a girl and a dreaded and desired jam contest, "Ruby's Red Ribbon Purple Jam." Needless to say, the jam was a metaphor, but this is a family blog so I won't go into specifics except to tell all of you to go to the kitchen, find some jam, dip two fingers into it, then lick it off your fingers, or put it somewhere else, then lick it off. Very slowly. And that's all the playwriting lesson you get for today, naughty readers.

Okay, the first thing all of you are thinking, knowing me, is "Why didn't she choose a mustard contest?"

Well, 1. I really didn't consciously think of a condiment contest. I just let the muse guide me and
she led me down the jam path.
2. Not everyone has the strange and varied tastes that I do.

It wasn't until after the show that a number of people who read my blog approached me and said, "Of course YOU would write about condiments" with a dirty smile on their happy faces.

Honestly, I didn't think about it until then. And then I chuckled to myself, because it all makes sense. It's all one big, beautiful crazy unconscious world.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a very tasty jar of Curry Mustard I need to taste.

Condiment Grrl