Creative Energies
One day, the owner of a particular mind discovered that she was supposed to write a story. She'd written many stories before, and didn't expect to have much trouble this time.However, it just so happened that this girl was also a computer programmer. That didn't usually present a problem, but on this particular day most of the creative energies were having a picnic in Programming Park, busily discussing interfaces and message handlers and the like. There was only one creative energy in the Writing Conservatory, and it was playing Once in a Lifetime, a computer game that it had helped make back when Programming Park was little more than a lawn. And since creative energies create ideas by discussion, a single creative energy was useless to the Mind-Owner.
Now, the Owner of the Mind was quite desperate to get a story written, so she decided to set off the "creative energies needed" alarm in the Writing Conservatory. Unfortunately, creative energies are easily frightened, and when they heard the alarm they ran as far away from the Writing Conservatory as they could get. And as if that wasn't enough, the Mind-Owner had forgotten that the alarm system automatically sealed all exits. A huge, heavy slab of stone labelled "Writers' Block" descended to cover the door to the Writing Conservatory.
The poor game-playing creative energy huddled in the corner of the Writing Conservatory, while the rest of the creative energies continued running towards Television Cliff to escape the pleading siren.
Once the lone creative energy in the Writing Conservatory got over the shock of being trapped, it began to think about how to get out. Naturally, it'd need help. Suddenly, for the first time it was aware of, it had an idea all by itself - without even talking to its friends to come up with it.
Hastily the creative energy went back to the computer it'd left in the centre of the room, quit the game (it was losing anyway) and instructed the computer to dial up the other creative energies with the modem.
Of course, the other creative energies had brought their Newton handheld computers with them to Programming Park, so they received their friend's message straight away. There was a twitter of conversation as the creative energies decided what to do.
They all stampeded to the Writing Conservatory and charged the Writers' Block with full force. The Writers' Block shattered into a million gemstones and the creative energies were so glad to see their friend safe that they decided to hold a party in the Writing Conservatory. The party sparked many discussions and didn't stop until 12:19 the next morning, when the Owner of the Mind finished writing this story.
After all that partying, the creative energies had all drunk too many creative juices and weren't thinking straight, so they staggered to Cloud Nine to make some crazy, twisting dreams.
(c) Angela Brett
7/5/1998
(And that's why I honour the Creative Energies at the corner of every page!)