Have You Ever Seen A Seven-Legged Octopus?

Summary

Rasheed Hooda, a published author and regular contributor to the ILLUMINATION community on Medium, discusses his experience and expertise in balloon twisting, particularly his signature seven-legged octopus creation, and reflects on his entrepreneurial journey inspired by SCBWI writing prompts.

Abstract

Rasheed Hooda shares his unique talent for twisting balloons into seven-legged octopuses, a craft he has honed over twelve years of entrepreneurship. His balloon artistry is not just a party trick but a meaningful way to connect with people and support his minimalistic and nomadic lifestyle. Inspired by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) daily writing prompts, Hooda has been participating in a 31-day writing challenge, which has become an addictive and creatively fulfilling endeavor. He expresses gratitude to Amy Marley for introducing him to these prompts and provides a link to a compilation of stories from the challenge. Hooda also invites readers to learn more about him through his contributions to ILLUMINATION and his personal newsletter.

Opinions

Hooda views his balloon twisting as an art form, emphasizing the skill required to create his signature seven-legged octopus.
He values the flexibility and freedom that his balloon twisting enterprise provides, allowing him to maintain a nomadic lifestyle.
The SCBWI writing prompts have significantly influenced Hooda, sparking creativity and a sense of community among writers.
Hooda anticipates experiencing withdrawal symptoms once the writing challenge concludes, indicating its importance in his daily routine.
He is appreciative of the connections made through his craft and writing, acknowledging the role of these interactions in his life.
Hooda identifies as a "weirdo" and embraces this label, suggesting a non-conformist attitude towards life and success.

It happens, you know, even to the best of us.

If you’ve never seen a seven legged octopus, then you’ve never seen me twist balloons. Okay, Holly Jahangiri has watched me twist balloons, and I don’t think she has seen one of my seven legged octopuses — or is it octopi, as some smart kid will, invariably, point out? (I am looking at William and Jaferaly)

But seriously, I am an expert at creating seven legged octopi.

Imagine this: Four 260 balloons — two inches in diameter and 60 inches long when fully inflated, then folded in half and interlocked. I squeeze the eight 30-inch sections together and twist and turn the upper six to eight inches to form the head. Then I would twist each of the eight “legs” individually to give them that squiggly octopus leg look.

Seven times out of eight (just a rough estimate) one of them would burst, and I would hand my world famous seven legged octopus to the mesmerized, sometimes scared, child. It’s an art, really.

Twelve years ago, I became an entrepreneur and started my balloon twisting enterprise. It is a fun way to support my minimalistic and nomadic Freedom Lifestyle. It offers me the flexibility to work from anywhere while meaningfully connecting with people. More on that tomorrow. Connection will be the prompt then.

Yesterday, the prompt was Red Door. When I saw the above photo, I had to choose it from among the 170 others. Besides, it was the best available.

Thank you, Amy Marley, for getting me addicted to the SCBWI daily writing prompts. It was a 31-day project for the month of May. Since I didn’t start until May 8th. I am catching up on the first seven days retroactively. Tomorrow, I will be officially done with it, before I start dealing with the withdrawal symptoms.

Here is Amy’s recap for all the stories created by her and her friends.

SCBWI writing prompt

Have You Ever Seen A Seven-Legged Octopus?

It happens, you know, even to the best of us.

Pieces Prompted by Play

Catalog of creations from SCWBI’s 31 days in May Challenge 2020

As always, thank you for reading and responding.

More about me:

Illuminating Mister Weirdo

Introducing myself to the community

10 (Spiritual) Things About Me You Need To Know

Or maybe you don’t, but here they are.

I Am a Bum, Maybe Not the Kind You Think

An illuminating lesson I learned about the power of words by writing consistently.