The Magical Mason Jar

Today, November 30, I present you the Mason jar.

When you see a Mason jar, what pops into your head first?

Write it down. I’ll give you a minute.

(Sip drink, pace floor, one more sip).

For anybody who genuinely participates in this exercise, the answers will vary widely. They will run from its primary utilitarian purpose (canning) to hipster beer glass, from pencil jar to flower pot. For some, the jars will cause confusion, while others will immediately find themselves transported to a bygone childhood in their grandmothers kitchen.

No right answer exists for this question. It’s not a puzzle to solve. This question presents an opportunity, a prompt, to create your own unique content. You could write a list of uses specific to your audience, such as this one for college students. You could expand on its uses as a money-management tool or its (perceived?) environmental benefits. You could share recipes, art projects, or tips for making music with the jars.

Do you have a more personal connection to the Mason jar? Use this an invitation to share a deeper part of yourself with your audience. They’ll appreciate the authenticity.

Alternatively, maybe you have a negative connection to Mason jars. For me, even though I use Mason jars a lot (for beer, for canning, and so many other things), I will always think of debt because I freeze credit cards in a jar stashed in my freezer. Maybe you remember hours spent over a simmering steam bath because you had to can for the winter or hate the clutter. Or maybe, just maybe, you had to survive on canned peaches as you hid from cannibals and zombies.

It doesn’t matter what format you use or what topic you choose. The point is to create something will connect with your audience in a way that sparks conversation or improves their lives. That is always the point.

Once you’ve finished this piece, don’t stop. Replace Mason jar with another object or idea, and create. Same applies if you simply don’t have anything worthwhile to say about a Mason jar — it’s not a failure. Just choose something you can discuss, and start creating.