Here in Michigan, parts of the state experienced their first snowfall this past weekend. For some, it was enough to bundle up the kids and build snowmen. For others, it was just a scum of frost on the windshield. And still others may not have seen a single flake. Weather—always great food for creative fodder, isn’t it?
With the winter solstice just around the corner, what better inspiration for this week’s prompt than the idea of the first snow—or maybe the absence of it?
❄️ First Snow: A Spark for Creative Wonder
The first snow has fallen. Maybe it melted by morning, maybe it dusted the trees just long enough to make you pause—but that fleeting moment when the world turns white carries a quiet kind of magic.
What does it mean to you?
For some, it’s the signal to dig out a beloved family recipe—perhaps your grandmother’s hot chocolate, now reimagined with cold foam and a dash of cinnamon. Could you write a poem about the memory? Or a story imagining her reaction to your modern twist?
Maybe the first snow takes you back to a childhood snow day—the one that saved you from a forgotten homework assignment and gave you time to study, finish, and play. What would it look like to capture that reprieve in fiction?
Or perhaps you imagine a world where snow falls only once a year. What kind of magic would that be? Would people bottle it, sell it, celebrate it? Could you write a speculative piece about a single day of winter wonderland?
Try a lyric essay about crafting snow castles and ice sculptures from the first flakes. Or challenge yourself visually: create a snow scene using colored pencils—but not white. Can you layer and shade until the essence of snow emerges anyway?
These are just a few ways to let the season’s first snow inspire your next creative work—whether it’s fiction, poetry, nonfiction, visual art, or something in between.
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