STORY BOX : OPEN LAB / WORKSHOP

21 October 2025, David Fishel

INSPIRATION:

Upon arrival to the residency the desk available to me had locked drawers with no key. After a few days of lock-picking, I was able to gain access to the drawers, one of which contained clues as to the previous owner. I immediately began filling in the gaps and formulating potential narratives for who this person was and what series of events could have led to some the artifacts in the drawer which appears to have been locked for about 30 (ish) years.

STEP ONE:

Choose a box. This can be any kind of container. It will not be ‘yours’ by the end of this so better to not use anything precious to you.

STEP TWO:

This box was once the property of a fictional individual. It is your job to think of who this might be and generate, at minimum, the following to be placed in the box.

• 1 piece of identification - this can be as realistic or cartoony as you like, as long as it has the information that would be included on an ID (think library card, passport, visa, driver’s license, pilots license, membership card to an esoteric fraternal order, etc)

• 1 notation - this can be a diary, research notes, journal, an unsent letter, reminder

• 1 official document from someone else to the individual - this can be an utility bill, a letter form a boss or colleague on company letterhead, legal papers, some correspondence from a court or government body)

• 1 artifact - this should represent a physical object. It could be of great or little meaning but it ought to convey information. If you are unable to find or fabricate something to include, a depiction representing the object is totally fine.

As part of Step Two, feel free to decorate your container to add a bit more of a clue as to who the person is.

Regardless, please consider the container you are using. What does it’s material and shape signify? Please make a choice about whether you wish to incorporate that or contrast that. It’s up to you but please think about it in generating your forgeries.

STEP THREE:

(if there is not enough time, this can/will be done in the next Story Box Workshop/Open Lab)

Take your finished box.

Congregate in a circle.

Pass your Box to the person to your left.

Open the box you now have (for which you did not generate the contents) and explore the documents.

Take your time to appreciate the details included. What is consistent? What is inconsistent? What gaps do you feel inspired to fill? What points do you feel inspired to connect?

Now write (preferably typed and then printed) a 2-3 page story based on the contents of the box. Feel free in the form.

STEP FOUR:

Repeat Step Three, making sure that no one is writing based on the contents they themselves generated.

Keep Repeating!