Illustration by Ana Hinojosa.

Illustration by Ana Hinojosa.

Art is our connection to the past and our contribution to the future. Just think of all of the amazingly ancient facts, stories, paintings, and treasures we have thanks to the work of archivists and artists who carefully wrote, recorded, painted, drew, carved, and sculpted important moments. Without their contributions, much of human history would be lost to legend and myth.

This week, we’d like you to approach a day as an historian. Describe or depict everything that feels important to convey about this moment in time: the weather, your surroundings, what people are wearing, what songs are playing, what’s on TV, how people carry themselves, the food that is served, the smells in the air, et cetera. Think of someone just like you, reading your work 500 years from now. What would you want them to know about now? Keep in mind: you are observing, not judging. The goal is to capture as accurate a picture as possible. This can be done with words, sketches, photos, music, a video diary—whatever!

Be the historian your era needs, then send your work—along with your first name, last initial, age, and city/state—to [email protected] with the subject line “Creative Prompt” by Monday, November 9 at 6 PM EST. Thank you!

Last week, we asked you to get weird with your writing or art by employing a creative device called “slipstream.” Here is the strangeness you sent back.