Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope you enjoyed the festivities!

I like to get dressed up on New Year's Eve--even if it's at home with just my husband and the cats.  And, I like to wear my my favorite tiara!

Here it is--full of fake rhinestones and hot pink mirabou feathers.

Very ooh la la!  Very silly.  A little funny.  And yet, I treasure it.

Why do I treasure this funny looking tiara from Party City, circa 1995?  I treasure it because it was a gift for my birthday party that year.  The person who bought it for me--Stephan Elliot, was the director of film "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," which went on to win lots of awards and was made into the hit Broadway show.

 

He was dating a good friend of mine at the time--a friend from my U.C.L.A. film school days who had made it big in Hollywood and bought a beautiful loft near Union Square in New York City.  His gift to me was to throw a party in that fancy loft.  I invited all my friends and we had a fabulous time.  I remember it very well!

 

But honestly, it's this tiara that truly stays with me and I still wear it every now and then.  When I used to teach creative writing, I would give it out (along with other quirky found object art things) and ask students to create a story around it.

 

I do believe this is the power of objects.  They can transport us to the past, the future and to an imagined world.  It's similar to Proust's madeleine in Swann's Way and how just a little taste of this little French cake brought back his entire childhood.  That's how it is with this tiara.

 

And, I imagine you have a tiara of your own.  

 

Just kidding!

 

You probably don't have a pink feathered rhinestone tiara.  But I bet you do have some object that you've kept for some time and has the ability to transport you to your own past or to conjure up an imagined place.  

 

So, for this week's creativity prompt--I would like you to find that object, put it in a prominent place where you'll look at it every day, and then on the third day, begin writing.  It's important to wait the full three days, so you can give your subconscious mind plenty of time to wander before you get down to work.  

 

Oh, and if you need a word, how about this one:  Tiara.

 

And, have fun!

Love,

Jamie